Fallen Heights
by He Who Writes Monsters
Summary: To spare his son from the curse seal, Hizashi turns against the Hyuuga clan. Now Neji must deal with his two legacies: a freedom he cannot grasp, and the two surviving heiresses to whom he is still bound.
1. Prologue

Fallen Heights:

**A/N:**

Yep, here I am again,with _another_ new Fanfic. This one's based on a Plot Bunny that was born yesterday in my head, on "what if the Hyuugas were massacred, not the Uchihas?" Reviews welcomed, and encouraged in fact, since I'm trying to apply Show-Don't-Tell more to my work, and need to know if it's working or not.

Prologue:

Hizashi looked into the darkening sky, with… regret. Hyuugas were not supposed to regret. They had to master their emotions, to keep their faces masks and their souls _pure_. As pure as they could, considering the circumstances. After all, how _pure_ could you be, when you consigned your own family, your own _brother_ and his descendants to lives of servitude?

Hands clenched into fists, the normally stoic Hyuuga frowned. For a moment, the moon reminded him of the Byakugan, seeing without limit. He wanted to pluck it out of the sky; just he wished to pluck the Byakugan from his own face… That was what it came down to. The enslavement of your own family, for _this_. This Bloodline Limit, that transcended the sacred bonds of family.

The worst part was that it _worked_. The system was hateful, but undoubtedly effective. If a member of the Branch House was kidnapped, they might cry, and mourn their passing, (for no Hyuuga would consider _trading_ for the life of a slave, no matter how close they had been in life,) but then they would nod, and say that the Byakugan was safe, and its secrets remained wholly Hyuuga, and then they would forget. After all, slaves could not hope to stand against their masters, when they were raised from birth to serve, to protect.

Hizashi could not forget, though. He was the head of the Branch House, a great honour amongst the Hyuuga. He was the brother, the twin of the head of the Main House, and thus was present for every occasion that Hiashi-Sama used the Caged Bird seal to kill those Hyuuga unfortunate enough to be captured. He remembered their names, because nobody else would.

"Tou-San?" He glanced down, from the perfect orb of the moon to the wide eyes of his son, Neji. Neji… the pride of his life. His legacy. Hizashi put on the _other_ mask he wore when Hiashi was not around; the mask of the generous father. Kneeling down, he grinned, putting Neji at ease.

"Yes, Neji?"

"Hinata-Sama wanted to take me out, to celebrate me getting into the academy. Do you mind if we go now?" Neji's eyes were hopeful, and he had _that_ smile, the one that promised he would behave himself for the next month. Hizashi kept his smile strong, and closed his eyes.

"Of course you may, Neji." His son wrapped his arms around him, and laughed. It was like the chirping of birds, and Hizashi frowned on the inside, being reminded of the reason for his anger tonight. Tomorrow would be the day that Neji was… _marked_, scarred for life with the Caged Bird Seal. He looked past Neji, and saw the eldest daughter of Hiashi waiting nervously for him. Hinata. She was a kind chid, and gentle, but in the Hyuuga clan, those were not the qualities expected of the Clan heir. She may have been kind, and gentle, but she was weak, first and foremost, and Neji was strong.

_And yet, she will be the one to inherit Hiashi's title, whilst Neji will be a slave in all but name._ It maddened him, how to the Hyuuga, all was considered well, and in order, so long as the members of the Main House remembered to call their slaves 'cousin' or 'uncle'. Hinata noticed him looking at her, and blushed, before trying to hide herself behind a column. The girl was simply unsuitable for this life. If he had not suggested to her to take Neji out tonight, he doubted she would have had the initiative to come up with it on her own.

"Thank you, Tou-San!" Neji said, before releasing him from the hug. "Let's go, Hinata!"

"H-Hai, Neji-niisan…" Hinata looked at the floor as Neji took her by the hand and led her out of the Hyuuga compound. Hizashi stood to watch them go. No sooner had they left than Hiashi himself returned. The man was only Hizashi's elder by a few seconds, but he seemed years older.

"How is your wife, Hiashi-Sama?" As courtesy demanded. Both twins knew that he cared nothing for the woman that had doomed his son to slavery by giving birth to Hinata.

"She is fine, for now. They say that she will give birth sometime in the night, but she told me to return here, and sleep." Hiashi's eyes, normally sharp and suspicious of everything, were dull with weariness, as he made his way towards his brother. Hizashi smiled, his mask perfectly in place, his mind on… different things. As Hiashi reached him, he struck out. The killing-intent, if Hiashi had sensed it earlier, would have earned him the mind-numbing pain of the Caged Bird Seal, but Hizashi was too smart for that. By concentrating on other things, calming things, he could avoid leaking his killing-intent, until Hiashi was too close to form the seals necessary to disable a member of the Branch House. There was only one image that could keep him so calm, and suppress his killing-intent; that of Neji, a grown man, his forehead clear of the Caged Bird Seal.

Hiashi's eyes widened in shock, just for a moment, for that was all the time he had before Hizashi's Jyuuken strike hit his heart, and destroyed it. He looked at his brother, and gripped the sleeves of his robes, even as blood trickled from his mouth. He would drown on the blood leaked by his ruptured heart, and both twins knew already that Hiashi's death was mere seconds away. The Hyuuga head was shaking, involuntary tremors from muscles that no longer had the oxygen they would have, and Hizashi kept the smile on his face, the gentle smile he had perfected so well.

"T-tem…" Hiashi could not finish the sentence, his mouth filling with blood, but both twins knew what he was trying to say. He spat the blood over Hizashi's robes, his eyes strangely defiant, even in the face of his impending death.

"Do not worry, brother. I will not harm Hinata this night," Hizashi said in response, both sickened and relieved to see the indifference on Hiashi's face. Even _he_ knew that Hinata was a failure, a disgrace to the Hyuuga. Hizashi knelt in his brother's blood, and brought his mouth close to his ear. "I cannot promise the same for your _other_ child," he whispered, and delighted in the widening of his brother's eyes in silent fury, before they grew dull.

Hizashi glanced at the moon again, and looked down at his brother's face, suddenly peaceful. His fingers itched, and he knew what he must do. Quick as a snake, or the Heron that the Hyuuga often compared themselves to, his hand flashed twice, and when he uncurled his hand, there were two eyeballs lying in his palm. They were, after all, the most important items for a Hyuuga, these eyes. With utmost reverence, he placed them in a pouch, before he stood.

"Byakugan," he whispered, and his eyes flickered into their second sight. A quick glance behind him showed him all he needed to. There had been at least one member of the Branch House watching, and they were already moving, gathering the others. He did not care. Aside from Hiashi, nobody in the Hyuuga Clan could match him.

As he deactivated his Byakugan, he felt a slight burning sensation on his forehead, and irritably scratched at it, before freezing. Where before he would have felt the sickly smooth texture of the seal stretching across his head, there was nothing… No, wait, there were fragments remaining, but in the centre… His fingers traced what seemed to be the outline of a bird, and Hizashi grinned, this time without the aid of a mask, as he turned to face those that stood in his path.

"Hizashi…" one of them, a woman said, her voice low and dangerous. He remembered her. Hyuuga Yuki. She was the daughter of a cousin of his. Hiashi had not hesitated to sacrifice her father Hoshi for the sake of the Hyuuga secrets. Yet she had forgotten him, and Hizashi had been the only one to remember.

"Yuki-neesan," he replied, deceptively calm. "Do you mean to fight me?" Slowly, he slipped into the Jyuuken stance, and a half-dozen other Branch Members followed suit.

"What have you done?" Yuki said, as she activated her Byakugan.

"The Caged Bird…" Hizashi activated his Byakugan, mildly surprised by what he saw. "Has broken free!" As he said that, he rushed into combat, against friends and family, knowing that for every one he killed, there was one less who would demand Neji be marked.

…

"Hinata-Sama," Neji said, and grinned at his cousin. A year younger than him, Hinata, in many ways, saw him as her idol, the bar of achievements that she had to meet. Such a position, of course, fuelled Neji to try even harder, to prove that he was the best, though he bore Hinata no ill will, and on occasion even held back, to make her seem stronger than she was. It was one of many small kindnesses the cousins shared.

"Hai, Neji-niisan?" Hinata returned the smile nervously, and unconsciously gripped his sleeve.

"You're the best cousin I could ask for." He delighted in the glowing expression on her face, and her muttered thanks. So intent on the face of his cousin, and her reactions, Neji didn't notice the shinobi standing in front of them, until he bumped into the back of his leg. He looked up, and saw the fan of the Uchiha clan on the back of the shinobi, who looked down at him with red-and-black eyes that were never still.

"Hyuugas, eh? We'll need to ask you two a couple of questions,"

"W-Why? Wh-What has happened?" Hinata clutched at Neji again, who stood between her and the Uchiha. He was to be her protector, after all.

"Nothing, good, Hyuuga-San. Nothing good at all."

"This is the heir of the Hyuuga Clan, Hinata-Sama, and I am the son of the Branch Head, Neji! Answer our questions!" Neji sounded more forceful than he felt, and the Uchiha, with those endlessly moving eyes, saw the bluff.

"Kid, it's best if you don't ask too many questions at the moment. We're still trying to figure things out, you kno-"

"Shisui-niisan, you are required elsewhere." Shisui tsked.

"Aw, Itachi-niisan! And I was having such_ fun_ as well!" The one who had ordered him was barely older than Neji and Hinata, but he had a fully-developed Sharingan, and was giving orders to a _Jounin_, of all people.

"Y-you… Uchiha Itachi…" Itachi glanced at the two Hyuugas, and Shisui laughed nervously.

"I'll be going, then," he said, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"W-What happened, I-Itachi-San?" The Uchiha prodigy gave some consideration to his answer, as if unsure of how to tell a pair of children what had happened, before shrugging, and deciding to be truthful, as he usually was.

"Murder. No, not murder. A massacre." Hinata gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

"T-Tou-San! Ka-San!"

"Your mother is fine, and in hospital. Your father… Hiashi-San is dead."

"Who did this? Who? Have you caught him?" Neji was practically foaming at the mouth. Who would dare such an outrage, tonight of all nights?

"We… have our suspicions, but whoever it is has already fled the village."

"Wh-who do y-you think d-did it?"

"There are a few suspects; Orochimaru and Kumo-nin amongst them," Itachi said, but frowned. "However, there is no reason for one such as Orochimaru to destroy the Hyuuga clan, at such great risk to himself, and the Kumo-nin in Konoha have all been confirmed to have stayed at their hotel for the duration of today, under watch by ANBU for just such an occurrence."

"Then who? Who could do this?" Neji shook with anger, and it was only Hinata's tight grip on his robes that stopped him from rushing at the Uchiha.

"Hyuuga Hizashi was not found amongst the dead, and his skills surpass any other Hyuuga, save for his brother, Hiashi. I believe that he killed Hiashi in an ambush, before moving on to the others."

"Impossible! Tou-San… He would _never_ do this! He…" Neji went numb. He wouldn't, would he? Not _Tou-San_…

"Itachi…" Itachi glanced at Shisui, who was approaching solemnly, in the manner of a man who knows he will hurt _someone_ with his actions, but must follow through anyway. "We… found a message. It is for Neji-San." He held out a scroll, and, shaking, Neji took it. It felt heavy, almost unbearably so, and his whole body quivered as he opened it.

_Neji, as you are reading this, I will no longer be in Konohagakure. My actions tonight… will forever brand me as a missing-nin, and deprive you of a father. However, that is the price I paid to bring you an even greater joy…_

"No!" Neji held the scroll at arm's length, eyes wide with shock, already beginning to water. Hinata, nervously, took the scroll from him, and as she read, she began to cry as well. The two Uchihas, looking nervously at one another, decided to take a step back.

_I have defied fate, my son, and delivered you from the slavery that awaited you. I understand that you will not realise yet what I have saved you from, but in time, I hope that you can forgive me for my actions, and realise that they were necessary. In the end, no matter what comes, be it imprisonment or death, my fate is irrelevant, so long as you push yourself to new heights, greater than mine._

_Hyuuga Hizashi._

"Are... A-Are there… a-any survivors?" Hinata looked at Itachi and Shisui, a brief flicker of hope in her eyes.

"Your mother, and the child she carries. They are at Konoha hospital…" Itachi began, but glanced up when a member of ANBU, wearing a cat-like mask, landed softly behind the Hyuugas, a bundle in her arms.

"Hinata-San, this is your sister," the ANBU said, but her voice was hollow. Even the children could see that there was something wrong.

"A-and… K-Ka-San?" Hinata was shaking more than ever as Neji took the bundle from the ANBU.

"I am… sorry to report that Hyuuga Hikari died in childbirth. Hiashi-Sama will be saddened." The ANBU noticed the four of them flinching, and frowned behind her mask. Hinata dropped to her knees, and wailed, leaving the unfortunate ANBU to send a pleading glance, or at least, as pleading as possible, through her cat-mask at the two Uchihas.

"Shisui, show her," Itachi said simply, and the older Uchiha nodded, and beckoned for the ANBU to follow him.

"W-Wait! D-does she have a n-name?" Neji was mildly surprised at the quiver in his voice. That was something Hinata-Sama would do…

"Hai. Hikari-Sama called her Hanabi."

"Hanabi…" Neji looked down at the little girl he carried, who was absently reaching for him with her stubby baby-arms. What was _he_ supposed to do with this bawling infant, who grabbed and screamed and cried continuously? He muttered a thanks to the ANBU when she took the baby from him, seeing his hesitation around it.

"Such an… unfortunate day to be born," Itachi said quietly behind them. "Almost as unfortunate as Uzumaki, to be born on _that_ day."

"Shut up." Neji glared at the Uchiha, who was relatively unfazed. "Don't… Don't say _anything._"

"N-Neji-niisan?" he averted his gaze from Itachi, and immediately knelt face-to-face with Hinata.

"Hai, Hinata-Sama?"

"I-It… It was _his_ f-fault. _Your_ father…" Her eyes were hard, and held hatred for the first time that Neji had ever seen them.

"Hin-"

"_Why?_ Why d-did he… You're _his _son, Neji!" Hinata grabbed him by the shoulders, and roughly shoved him backwards. Neji, shocked, did not attempt to fight back.Hinata had _never_ pushed him before. She had never shown _any_ signs of aggression.

"He _killed_ them!" she screamed at him, and dug her nails into the flesh of his arm. "_Why?_"

"Hinata-Sama, please!"

"He did it for_ you!_ It's _your_ fault!" the Hyuuga heiress, oblivious to her surroundings, concentrated on one thing only, that of the boy in front of her – _His_ son. Her hand curled into a fist, and she brought it crashing down into Neji's face, though he didn't cry out. That enraged her even more, and she punched him, again and again, with Neji not attempting to even defend himself. It wasn't until the ANBU pulled her off her cousin that the rage faded, and she sobbed again.

"They're all _dead_!" she screamed, sobbing hysterically, before looking at the boy who had, moments before, been her best friend. There would be bruises on his face, for certain, but he stood as if nothing had happened.

"Hinata-Sama," he said curtly, and bowed, before walking into the Hyuuga compound. The moon, shining so bright, disappeared behind a cloud.

**EDIT:**

**I'm going to give you guys a choice now, should I continue the fic from either:**

A: The next day, with Hinata aged 5 and Neji 6

B: Graduation, with Hinata aged 12 and Neji 13 (If you pick this, feel free to include who you'd like to see as team-mates of Hinata, though Neji will still most likely be in Team Gai)

C: Post Timeskip, where Hinata is a 15 year old Chuunin and Neji a 16 year old Jounin.

I'll wait about a week, or unless I have an overwhelming majority for one of these choices. Whether you choose to make your choice via review or PM doesn't really matter.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Hinata

_Seven years later_

Hinata shivered, and slowly stood, as the first rays of morning entered through her window. She could never sleep on those nights with full moons… Who knew when _he_ could return? The first few times she'd tried sleeping, despite the moon's ominous glare, but whenever she closed her eyes… Hizashi would be standing there, pale and cold and distant and entirely too _near_. In the end, she had decided not to waste her time reaching for that which would never come, and instead used the time to train, or study, or… just to sit here, by her parents' tomb, and think. Even in death, the sculpture of Hiashi's face was still stuck in a permanent frown, whilst her mother's… Hikari had a gentle smile, and sometimes, in the dark and cold of those sleepless nights, Hinata could swear she looked almost _apologetic._ She'd sit here, in her father's favourite chair, and talk to them, or just listen. They never said anything, but she still heard.

"I promise, Ka-San, Tou-San. I'll find him. He… he will pay for what he did to you." They had been forced to bury Hiashi without his eyes, a grave insult to any Hyuuga, and it was obvious to all what had happened to them, who had taken them, and denied his brother sight in the afterlife. She clenched her fists, until her knuckles turned white. "So I swear, on the Hyuuga name." She repeated this oath, every month, to make sure she wouldn't forget, no matter what. Hokage-Sama had, a few nights after the massacre, tried to force his own beliefs onto her and Neji, insisting that they give up on vengeance. _Baka_. What would _he_ know of loss? How could _he_ hope to relate to what she was going through? She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice the presence behind her, until it coughed.

"Neji," she said evenly, and the other Hyuuga gave a grunt of recognition.

"Talking to the dead again, Hinata-Sama?" Neji was standing before her, looking for all the world as if he had just asked her about the weather. The calm expression on his face served to infuriate her further, as he must know it would, and her eyes narrowed. More, now than ever, she could see Hizashi standing there, wearing Neji's face, tall and proud, like a true Hyuuga. He was the Heron amongst them, Neji; something made painfully clear when she was seven, and Neji eight.

"_Hinata-Sama?" Neji's face scrunched up. "You wish to spar with me?" He sounded incredulous, and made no move to rise from his seat._

"_Yes, of course!" Hinata snapped a bit too eagerly. "I need to be strong, to face _him_."_ _She settled into a Jyuuken stance, and gave a faint smile. She had practiced all of yesterday, refining her form as best as she could, for it was difficult learning it solely from scrolls, without the example of another to follow. Neji wouldn't stand a chance; _couldn't_ stand a chance._

_As soon as he had gotten up from his seat, she sprang. A part of her recalled the incident two years ago, when she had beaten him black and blue, and he had done nothing to stop her. It was made clear, so painfully quickly, that had he wanted to stop her, he would have. He batted aside her Jyuuken strikes with ease, slipped inside her guard, and _still_ pulled his blows, not releasing chakra at all to block her tenketsu, and not landing blows at full force. Within two minutes, he had seen an opportunity, and seized it, delivering a low chop that caused her right leg to buckle, and then for her to fall down, unable to support her own weight. He stood over her, and she had glared at him. How _dare_ he stand there, unharmed, un_touched_. He had not only defeated her; he had done it so _easily

_  
"Hinata-Sama?" he bent, and held his hand out, arm outstretched, to help her up. Hinata looked at him, shocked, then lunged. Her Jyuuken strike hit him in one of the tenketsu in his arm, and the point closed instantly, the muscle swelling under the skin. Neji grimaced with pain as Hinata scrambled to her feet, and continued her relentless attack, now on an opponent that could not use his right arm effectively. He _still_ dodged the first few of her blows, but was not as quick as before, and she eventually caught a tenketsu in his leg. After that, he was at her mercy. Not once did he cry out, though, even though she knew the blows hurt him. When she was done, all his tenketsu were sealed, though he had been on the defensive the entire time. He collapsed soundlessly, his face a carefully composed mask, and Hinata still glared at him and shook._

_  
"You let me hit you." It was not a question, but Neji remained silent. "You _let_ me! You could have dodged that strike on your leg. Why didn't you?" Neji tilted his head, seeing the waves of uncertainty and loathing that alternately washed over his cousin's face. "Why did you let me win?"_

_  
"Hinata-Sama. Your stance… I can show you how to improve it," he said, and Hinata turned away from him without speaking another word, stalking back to her room. She knew Neji would not be able to stand by himself, not after the spar, but… Why had he _let_ her win? Did he _want_ to humiliate her? Did he want to say 'I choose when you win'? How could she get stronger from that? And how did he get so strong?_

_She did not spar with Neji again for the next four years. It had been made painfully obvious to her – she was the head to the Hyuuga, but he was the strongest._

No, Neji was the Heron, the true Hyuuga. If she trod the path that he did… she would just become his pale imitation, and she could not let that happen.

"What have they to say, Hinata-Sama, that has not already been said?"

"It's _that_ day again, Neji. They need me to be here." Why couldn't he see? Why couldn't he? The dead _needed_ to be remembered. If you forgot them… They lived on through her, and the moment she let them go, they would be gone forever.

"It is also Hanabi's birthday. You were not here last year."

"No, I wasn't. I needed to perfect the Kaiten. Not everybody is as quick a learner as you, Neji." She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of hearing her call him a genius, though that was what he was. _He is the true Hyuuga_. It brought to mind an incident from her second or third year in the academy. Whilst Suzume-Sensei had been kind, she had not interested Hinata at all. She had been teaching the girls about _flower_ arrangement, of all things.

_The flowers looked nice enough, but what purpose did they serve? Hinata looked at the other Kunoichi. They were, almost entirely, obsessing over this, but…_

"_Suzume-Sensei?" Suzume glanced over from where she had been giving pointers to a pink-haired girl and her blonde friend._

_  
"Hai, Hinata?" Suzume always had a ready smile._

"_How does this help us become strong ninja?" The smile faltered, and Suzume flinched as the conversations between the other kunoichi ended, and everyone turned to look at her. A group of girls a year older smiled, and turned back to their work._

"_Hinata, come with me please," Suzume said, and stood. Hinata followed after her warily, feeling the weight of two-dozen stares laden on her back. "Hinata, you must understand that Kunoichi are ninja, but they are women as well." Hinata looked at her sensei confusedly, and Suzume sighed. "What I mean is that one day, hopefully, we'll all be married, and have households to look after. The skills I teach are essential to that."_

_  
Hinata was genuinely confused now. How could a kunoichi become an effective shinobi if she focused on domestic matters? That was a _civilian_ life. No Hyuuga could ever stoop to that level._

_  
"Suzume-Sensei, I don't _want_ to learn about flowers," she said bluntly. "I want to learn how to throw a kunai properly, and use Bunshin, and…"_

"_I know, Hinata. There are a couple of girls like you in every year." Hinata glanced ahead, at a sign that clearly marked the area in front of them as 'Training Area 10'. "There's a girl, a year older than you, who felt the same way. She comes here to train, instead of coming to my lessons." Suzume looked positively torn, as if half-knowing that this was more important that what she taught, and half-believing that it would ruin a young woman to place so much emphasis on fighting._

"_Suzume-Sensei, is that her?" Hinata pointed towards a lone girl, who did not seem that much older than her, throwing kunai at targets on several tree trunks. Hinata watched, amazed, as she threw a handful, and then threw kunai _at_ the moving kunai she had already thrown, to knock them into a path directly aligned with their targets. Every shot was a bulls-eye, except one that hit the ring outside of the centre._

"_Darn it!" the girl said exasperatedly, before turning to pick up more kunai, and pausing when she saw the two new arrivals._

_  
"Tenten, this is Hyuuga Hinata. She will be training with you from now on," Suzume said, before quickly turning on her heel and leaving. Hinata looked quickly between Suzume and Tenten, unsure of this girl she was being left with. Tenten did not look very threatening at first glance – with her hair done in two buns, she favoured Chinese-style clothing. She was looking at Hinata with the same curious glance, before slowly extending her hand._

"_Hi! My name's Tenten. What's yours?"_

_  
"Hinata…" Hinata, for the first time in a long time, felt hesitant. What was wrong with her? She was the Hyuuga clan head, for Kami-Sama's sake! Surely she could handle talking to… it hit her suddenly that this was the first person she had talked to outside of the clan that was her age. Tenten must have noticed the strange look on Hinata's face, because she scampered over, quick-as-a-cat, and put a hand on Hinata's forehead startling Hinata even more. That hand was entirely _too_ close to her eyes for comfort._

_  
"Ne, are you okay, Hinata? You don't have a temperature…" Tenten's brow creased, and Hinata fought the urge to jerk backwards and settle into a Jyuuken stance. She's-not-going-to-hurt-me-She's-not-going-to-hurt-me…_

"_I-I'm fine! Fine…" Hinata blurted out, and Tenten nodded sagely._

"_Ah… I see. You're just a bit nervous, aren't you? I mean… They're teaching us about _flowers_," she said with a slight expression of disgust. "But you want to be a _real_ kunoichi, right?"_

"_Hai," Hinata did not disclose the reasons for that, not yet._

_  
"I betcha that the boys are already being taught Jutsus, whilst Suzume-Baka teaches us how to bake cakes. That's why we need to work even harder. If I want to catch up to Neji-Kun, I'll have to work twice as hard as him."_

"_N-Neji-Kun?"_

"_Oh yeah, he's your cousin!" Tenten smacked her forehead, as if it had escaped her notice that they both had the Byakugan, so must be related. "Well, between you and me, Neji-Kun is so _cuuute!_" Hinata frowned. She wasn't sure she liked the direction this conversation was taking. Neji had to be _focused_, just like her, to avenge the Hyuuga. "Anyway, you didn't come here to gossip with me, right, Hinata?" Tenten gave her a conspiratorial wink, and looped an arm across her shoulders. Hinata flinched at the sudden contact, but stifled a cry._

_  
"Tenten… what do you do to train?" She just wanted to train, that was all. All this… talking, it made her uneasy, and the contact with another made her want to flee._

"_Oh, that's easy! I use weapons, of all types! I can throw a pretty mean kunai, but I need to increase the range, and the speed I throw it, and the accuracy as well! I'll show you if you like, how to throw a kunai right, or a shuriken. We need to be strong, y'know, not like those _flower-pickers_." she stopped as Hinata laughed, and a puzzled expression on the weapon-user's face slowly changed to a smile, as she laughed as well._

"_Y'know, Hinata, I think we'll be friends. You and me, just like… Kurenai-Sensei and Anko-Sensei, y'know? You like cats?" Hinata nodded cautiously. She didn't know yet if she liked cats yet, after all, they were the enemies of birds, and herons were birds, and Hyuugas were herons… but she sensed that this was the right answer. "Awesome! I like cats too! We could be like the two Cat-Ninjas!" Tenten did a pose, and Hinata giggled again, though she frowned. She hadn't laughed for so long… How could this girl make her laugh so easily?_

That was right, she decided now. Neji was the perfect Hyuuga, the Heron, as stoic as a statue, perfectly balanced, capable of plucking things from thin air… Hinata was like a cat, like Tenten. But Tenten liked Neji… and Neji…

"Your sister needs you, Hinata. I am not enough for her." Neji unfolded his arms, and his presence annoyed Hinata. She felt like hissing and spitting, like the stray street-cats she saw sometimes, hard and tough and half-wild.

"Hanabi is strong. She will survive without me for a single day." She started as Neji clamped a hand down on her shoulder, and turned to glare into the boy's intense stare.

"It is not a single day. You speak to her a handful of times every week. She considers herself lucky when you have a conversation with her. She cannot even remember the last time you gave her a hug. I understand your desire for vengeance…"

"No you don't! Don't pretend you do!" Hinata spat and knocked Neji's hand aside. "You did not lose your parents, Neji. You did not lose _everyone_ dear to you!"

"I lost my father that night, Hinata. The creature that calls itself Hizashi is an enemy, nothing more. When we fight him, I will be just as capable as you. _However_, you must remember Hokage-Sama's words. 'Don't…'"

"'Live your life for vengeance.' I remember, Neji. I don't plan to lose my life to this." It had taken another, not just Tenten, to finally convince her of this, during their second or third training session, when the man supposed to supervise them finally appeared.

"_You're a Hyuuga, right? Neji has this neat trick of his, where he blocks Kunai with his arms and legs, like knocking them away by hitting the handle! You wanna try that?"_

_  
"Well…" Hinata frowned inwardly. She did _not_ want to be Neji's shadow, that was for sure. And yet… this sounded like a useful skill._

"_Don't worry, I'll use kunai with blunt tips. Just stand by that tree, and tell me when you're ready."_

_  
"Hai!" Hinata ran, and when she reached the indicated tree, activated her Byakugan and slipped into a Jyuuken stance. "Ready!" she called, and Tenten threw a kunai. She didn't realise it would go so _fast!

_Hinata promptly screamed, and pushed Tenten away, and the frightened girl put her hand to her mouth, before looking around helplessly._

_  
"My, my… You weren't supposed to get into trouble, Tenten… Especially by injuring another girl…" Tenten breathed a sigh of relief, at the sight of the ANBU that perched on the tree branch above her._

_  
"Kakashi-Sensei! We were just training! I… I asked Hinata… because Neji… and now everything's wrong!"_

"_I see… Kakashi slipped from his perch silently, and landed beside Hinata, who looked at him, still-wide eyes darting franticly between him and Tenten. Kakashi; armoured and with most of his face covered, looked very intimidating. "Hey." His voice was cheery, but the single eye of his that she could see was not._

_  
"H-Hey…" she replied tentatively._

_  
"You took quite a blow… Hyuuga-San." Kakashi made some quick seals. "I know some basic healing techniques… it's compulsory for ANBU members… I'll just heal the cut for you, okay?"_

"_O-Okay…" Hinata was not thrilled with letting _his_ hands so close to her eyes, but Tenten was by her side, seeing the indecision, and she gripped her hand tightly. Hinata's head snapped around to look at her training partner. Was she trying to hold her down? Was this all a trap? But her eyes… They didn't have any bad intention in them at all… they were just worried… Hinata closed her eyes, and made the decision to put trust in those two. There was a gentle sensation on her forehead, and then she felt the flow of blood stop, and opened her eyes. Tenten let out the breath she had been holding in, and Kakashi took a cloth from a pouch, revealing a fluorescent orange book cover. Hinata saw only a fraction of the title, 'Make', before Kakashi wiped the cloth over her cut, cleaning the blood that had already leaked out._

_  
"Don't worry, it's disinfected," he said cheerfully, then stood. "Now, I'll be watching over you for the rest of the day, to make sure this doesn't happen again."_

"_A-Ano… Kakashi-Sensei… What was that book?" Kakashi froze, for the first time._

"_Ah… It was nothing, Hyuuga-San."_

"_Was it… techniques?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow._

"_Not… exactly… Let's just leave it for now. Tenten, I think you should focus on something less physical."_

"_H-Hai, Kakashi-Sensei!"_

"_Good… Hyuuga-San, may I have a talk with you?"_

"_Hai, Kakashi-Sensei." Tenten looked a little put out at being left behind, until Kakashi tossed her a scroll. She unrolled it, and then hungrily pored over the forms for combat with a Bo Staff._

"_Now… I'm sure you have a question… They tell me you're a quick learner…" Hinata regarded the ANBU with a critical eye._

_  
"Why did they send an ANBU to teach academy students?" she said quickly._

"_Well… they were right about you being smart… As for your question, there's a couple of answers… Hokage-Sama wants the head of the Hyuuga protected, of course… and also, Hokage-Sama wanted me to have a talk with you, about revenge."_

"_I'm not interested."_

"_Oh? Well, I was about to tell you about _my_ revenge story, but since you aren't interested..." Kakashi gave a grin, not that she could see it under his mask, though his eye moved in the correct manner for a smile. He knew that _that_ would interest her._

"_Fine. What's your story?"_

"_I had a friend, a while ago, Uchiha Obito."_

"_Uchiha…" she almost spat the name. Since the Hyuuga Clan Massacre, the Uchihas had had almost unchallenged dominance over the Great Clans of Konoha, and there wasn't a day that that fact was rubbed in her face. It should be _Hyuuga_ dominance, not Uchiha._

"_Now, now… Obito was different. He was… funny, kind, but not the best of shinobi… The Uchihas didn't like him too much, you see – to them, he wasn't what an Uchiha should be… Years ago, during the Third Great Ninja War, Obito died… and I promised myself that I'd avenge him…" He fell silent for a moment. "It was war, after all… I didn't feel sorry for those I killed… For the most part, I didn't feel at all, and a few times, I'm afraid to admit, I actually _enjoyed_ killing them. With Minato-Sensei, Iwa couldn't stand against us, and before long, we were actually fighting them in _their_ homeland. Then… Irony struck. I found myself fighting a Genin team. After I killed the Jounin, those three… They were only twelve, you see… They'd just graduated from being mere students. They were just defending _themselves _and those precious to them. But then… I couldn't stop myself. I killed all of them. It wasn't the first time that Obito's eye cried for me, but it was the first time I realised why…" He lifted his Hitai-ate, and Hinata nearly gasped when she saw a Sharingan eye. "Obito gave this to me, before he died – I'd lost my eye fighting alongside him. It still cries sometimes, but not as much as it did during the war… What I mean to say is that being an avenger… It's not as good as you'd think. You either lose yourself to the darkness, or you realise how close you came to it… Which is nearly as bad."_

"Kakashi-Sensei… This is different. It's not just a friend; it's my entire clan. And there's only one person I need to kill." Kakashi sighed, and put his forehead Hitai-ate back in place.

"_I know… Just, Hinata, think on what I've said… Don't go as far as I did. Don't make this your obsession."_

"Once Hizashi is dead, then…"

"That is not enough, Hinata!" Hinata blinked as Neji raised his voice. "You have no friends outside of the Hyuuga, nor have you attempted to make any. You push away everyone that seeks to get close to you. Hizashi does not control us, and fate…"

"Don't start with your 'fate' again! It was not fate that guided Hizashi_ that_ night, Neji." Besides, she didn't _need_ friends. Tenten was a good enough sparring partner, and Kakashi was undoubtedly skilled, but she didn't need their _friendship_.

"Aneki? Niisan?" Hinata and Neji both glanced towards another door, where the seven year old Hanabi stood shakily. She was a small, pale thing, willow-thin and sickly, clutching a blanket.

"Hanabi-neesan, it is early. You should go back to bed," Neji said, but the younger Hyuuga shook her head determinedly.

"You two are both up, so I'm getting up too. It's my birthday, today." Her eyes flickered expectantly to the two other Hyuuga, and Neji switched, effortlessly, to a smile, which only he and Hinata could see was false.

"I know, neesan, and I have a present for you." Hanabi grinned, and waddled over to Neji, as he took a small box and handed it to the seven year old. She opened it, and her eyes faded to a neutral disappointment, though she kept the grin in place. To a non-Hyuuga, it would be nearly impossible to tell that she was not ecstatic with joy, but Hyuugas learned quickly to read faces, and more, to compare what a person said with their _mouth_, and what they said with their _body_. Right now, Hanabi radiated discontent.

"A kunai set?"

"Yes, neesan. You will need these, for when you graduate from the academy. I had them made especially for you."

"Thanks, niisan!" She looked at her sister, and Hinata smiled.

"I'll give you your present after the Academy," she said, but both other Hyuugas saw the difference between her words and actions. Neji would, undoubtedly, surmise that she had forgotten her sister's birthday again. Of course she hadn't, but it was just like Neji to rationalise things like that, to put people in the best light possible. There was no way Hinata would forget this day, her sister's birthday, and the anniversary of the Hyuuga Clan Massacre. However, she simply could not find the motivation to get her sister a present. There was training, and academy studies, and… perhaps it was foolish of her, but a small part of Hinata blamed the massacre on Hanabi. If Hinata's mother had been at the compound, and not pregnant, then she would have supported Hiashi, and they may both be here today, instead of spending their eternities in the lonely cold tomb behind her.

"Since we are all up, perhaps we should have breakfast?" Neji said, and that caught Hanabi's attention quickly.

"Yeah, niisan!" she said, perking up quickly, and she followed the elder Hyuuga towards the kitchen. Hinata looked at the position of the sun, and decided that she had time for another hour or two of training, before breakfast. Besides… Today was the day that she'd be take the Genin Test. She needed to be at her best.

"_Tenten… what is it like, to graduate?" Tenten was juggling kunai, but did not pause as she answered Hinata._

_  
"Well, it's pretty easy, actually. You have a short written exam, then an accuracy test, and then have to do some basic academy techniques." She flung two Kunai at the target behind her, and both hit it near the centre. She twirled the last kunai around her finger, before turning, and throwing it, burying it in a bull's eye._

"_I… What I mean, Tenten, is… what is your team like? What's the sensei like?"_

_  
"Well…" Tenten sat down, and a large smile broke out over her face. "Neji-Kun…" She gave a small giggle. "He's impressed with me, 'cause I'm not like the other girls in our class – I actually work hard, and he respects that… Lee… Lee's a hard worker, no doubt about that. He has to be, though – he can't do _any_ Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. His Taijutsu's pretty good, and it'll get even better, 'cause of our sensei…" She frowned. "Gai-Sensei… he's very dedicated, but a bit creepy. He must be a good teacher, though, 'cause our team's the only one from our class that passed to be shinobi. Asuma failed his team, and Kakashi _always_ fails his teams, like he's got a grudge against kids."_

"_Well… I know two little kids that always need me to watch over them…" Kakashi said as he appeared in the branches above the two kunoichi._

_  
"Gah! Don't spy on us!" Tenten threw a shuriken, which Kakashi caught with one hand._

_  
"Hmm? Did you say something?" He didn't look up from the book he was reading, the same one Hinata had seen all those training sessions ago. She felt a bit ashamed now, having ever thought it was about ninja techniques. It had techniques all right, but not the sort any self-respecting woman should be looking at._

"_That's not funny! Hinata, help me?" Hinata looked at Tenten, who did her best puppy-dog eyes, and smiled._

_  
"Hai," she said softly, and threw a kunai of her own. Kakashi caught that, not realising that it had a string tied to its ring-handle. Hinata quickly fed her chakra through the string, and Kakashi jerked, as if caught by an electric current, and toppled over._

_  
"That's right! You show him, Hinata! Perverts are wrong!" Hinata smiled again at Tenten's overenthusiastic celebration._

"_Hey, Hinata, let's go have lunch somewhere, okay? I know you like bringing your own, but it's good to eat out sometimes, you know?"_

"_Hai." Truth be told, Hinata only ate the packed lunch because it was the one her mother made for her, before she became pregnant with Hanabi. It always gave her good memories, for a few moments, before she came back to reality, and the realisation that Hikari was gone, and would never return…_

"_Great! I know a great place, does the _best_ ramen you'll ever have!" Hinata let the elder girl take her by the arm and almost drag her away, whilst Kakashi groaned. He'd recover soon enough from her technique, she decided._

_---_

"_Ichiraku's Ramen…" Hinata eyed the stand with a bit of apprehension. It looked… well, it didn't look like the type of restaurant Hiashi would have approved for her to go to._

"_Yeah! Old man Ichiraku's really nice, and his daughter's kind too! They give good deals to their best customers… speaking of which…" There were two people already sat there, a child and an adult, and Hinata recognised both of them. Iruka-Sensei, technically the teacher for the entire class now, though Hinata always left the sparring sessions to find Tenten. She didn't know if she'd be able to handle having to be with so many others… not after the reaction she had just with Tenten being near her._

_The boy sitting there with Iruka-Sensei was another she recognised, though for a different reason._

"_Uzumaki Naruto," she said quietly, but his ears twitched, and he turned to look at the two girls._

"_Ohayo, Hinata! Tenten!"_

"_Hey, Naruto!" Tenten plopped herself next to the energetic blonde. "One bowl of Miso Ramen please!"_

"_One… Miso Ramen for me too." Hinata was a just a bit nervous of Ichiraku Ayame. After all, she could, if Hinata didn't watch her, poison the food without her knowing. She'd heard that some shinobi specialised in poisons, but you did not need to be a shinobi to open a container and sprinkle its contents over a meal. Thus she kept an eye on the Ramen girl, trying to drown out the background noise from Naruto and Tenten. The Uzumaki was infamous in Konoha for two things – his bright orange jacket, and his capacity for mischief. As a shinobi, he did not seem to excel in anything, whether he actually had any talent was undermined by the fact that he constantly skipped lessons to play pranks._

"_Ne, Hinata? Why don't you come practice with the rest of the class, eh?" Naruto looked over Tenten's shoulder at the Hyuuga, who started at the question. There were so many possible answers… 'The Hyuuga are elite', Hiashi had said to her, drilling that lesson into her head as soon as she could understand them. 'We do not mix with commoners.' Though, she supposed, her class wasn't _that_ common. There were children from most of Konoha's noble clans, but… the Hyuuga were the elite of the elite, no matter what._

"_Hinata doesn't need to!" Tenten answered for her. "She practices with me, and I'm one of the best! Isn't that right, Hinata?"_

_  
"Well…" Hinata did not give voice to the fact that Tenten would never be as good as she could be if she did not focus so exclusively on weapons._

"_Nah, nah, Tenten! _I'm_ gonna be the best," Naruto said, all interest in Hinata gone. "I'm gonna be the Hokage one day! Believe it!"_

_  
"Hokage?" Hinata could not keep the surprise out of her voice when she said this. "You're bottom of the class, Naruto." The orange-clad ninja drooped for a moment, then straightened, face more determined than ever._

"_So what? I'm gonna get stronger, and make the villagers respect me. You'll see! I made a promise, and I _always _keep my promises!" Naruto looked as if he would jump off his seat, if Iruka had not kept a hand on his collar._

_  
"Hey, Naruto, I believe you, but it may be best if you start coming to class, you know? Stop with the pranks, perhaps?"_

"_Nah, Iruka-Sensei, they're too much fun!" Naruto quickly turned back to his Ramen, prompting a slightly bemused Hinata to start eating hers with a muffled "Itadakimasu."_

Naruto… He was determined, she would admit that. Just like her, he had a dream, and would not contemplate giving up on it. However… determination wasn't enough by itself, was it? Determination without skill was useless, and would only lead to tragedy. If she fought Hizashi now, without training, she knew, however loath she was to admit it, that she would die. However, skill, even that of one such as Neji, was useless without determination. Many times, in her dreams, Hinata had seen the battle that would occur, between her, Neji, and Hizashi, and in each of those dreams, Neji stopped short of a killing blow. No, skill without determination… determination without skill… If you had one, but lacked the other, you could not succeed in your goals.

Hinata decided, as she made her way towards the academy, that she would find a balance. After all, she had a promise to keep too; a promise to each and every member of the Hyuuga clan that had died _that_ night.

"I will keep… my promises too," she whispered.

**A/N:**

**And the winning option, with the only two votes, is Option B: Continue from graduation. This chapter was just a flashback-fest, next chapter will cover the Genin Test and team selection, along with a brief Neji POV. I hope I did a good job here of showing how... emotionally damaged Hinata is. As always, reviews are appreciated greatly. Next update will probably be for Prodigy and Outcast, since I've been neglecting that recently, though this should get another update fairly soon, since I've mapped out the material that the next chapter or two _should _cover.**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Hinata/Neji:

**Now starting from this chapter onwards - my replies to reviews and questions.**

**rcr: If you think Hinata's messed up, just you wait and see what I have planned for Hanabi, kukuku**

**Sunako Nakano: Thanks for your comment, positive reviews inspire me to write faster :)**

**LiMiYa: Don't rule out Naru/Hina yet - it is a possibility, and your questions about Sasuke will be partly answered in this chapter.**

Konoha Academy was fairly buzzing with excitement, and why not? Today was, after all, the make-or-break day for Konoha's young shinobi population. Those that passed the test to become Genin would be taking the first steps of hopefully a long and storied shinobi career. Those that failed today, however, would be consigned to a civilian life. As was just, Hinata decided. Those that had no talent as shinobi should not waste the time of others with their foolish fantasies.

"Ohayo, Hinata!" Naruto waved furiously, grinning as widely as he could, as if she may miss him in the crowd – even whilst he wore the most fluorescent orange uniform she had ever seen. It would be impossible _not_ to see him, a great liability for any ninja. She felt like screaming at him to wear some _decent_, _practical_ clothes, like everyone else.

"Uzumaki-San," she said simply, then passed by him, as if he was not even there. The blonde Genin had decided that since they knew each other, they qualified automatically as friends, and ignored all her attempts to stay distant. It was as if any attention paid to him at all, even negative attention, would inspire him further. That would explain his attraction to Sakura, at least.

"Oi, Hinata! D'you think you'll pass the test?" Naruto did not drop the matter, as most sane people would, but seemed intent on provoking her, as he jogged alongside her, head cocked slightly to one side, as he often did when curious.

"I will pass, Uzumaki-San." It was no idle boast. Her grades were among the highest in the class, though not, she thought bitterly, as high as Neji's had been. He had been the clear top of his class, touted as a 'Genius'.

"Heh, yeah, probably. What about me? Do you think _I'll_ pass, Hinata?" Part of her felt like screeching at him. He _presumed_ to be familiar enough with her to omit the honorific from her name? Naruto was blissfully unaware of the frustration building inside of the Hyuuga.

"You will," she said, gritting her teeth, knowing that that would end the conversation quicker, though she did not know truly whether he would pass or not.

"Yes! Thanks, Hinata! Now that _you've_ said it, I'll definitely pass, 'cause you're smart!" She blinked, glancing sideways into his beaming grin.

"Thank you?" she said, a bit unsure of how to react to that.

"No problem! Ne, what about Shikamaru? Or Sakura-Chan? Or Kiba? Or Chouji?"

"Yes! They'll all pass!" _just stop talking to me!_

"Wow, all of them? What about… Sasuke?" His voice dropped, and his smile faded, unsurprisingly. It was no secret that Naruto despised the Uchiha – quite a few did, mostly boys that could not stand his arrogance. There were, however, a much larger proportion of the class that worshipped the ground he walked on, mostly girls.

"He'll pass," she said. She didn't care too much about the Uchiha, but he was top of the class, a genius and brother of another genius – with a genius cousin to boot. There was no way that Sasuke could fail. Even if he did, Fugaku had enough influence to have him instated as a Genin anyway. Such was the power of the Uchiha clan.

"Tsk, Naruto, what're you doing?" Naruto perked up as Kiba called out, and his smile returned.

"Sorry, Hinata, but I've got to go!" he gave her a quick, nervous smile, and then ran off into the classroom, to his usual group, with Kiba, Chouji and Shikamaru. The girls all stood around, gossiping, and Hinata had no wish to join them. There seemed to be an unspoken agreement amongst the boys that since she was a girl, she _should_ be with the others, but she did not like them, and they did not like her, so they stayed apart. The only person in the class whose presence she could tolerate for more than a few minutes was currently observing a column of ants swarming over an apple core on a window ledge.

"Aburame-San," she said in greeting, and got a grunt in response. Shino was not known for his social skills, but was a keen listener, and firm believer in logic. He was famous, amongst the class, for his two-fold ability to both simplify complicated situations and complicate simple situations. A quick glance at the sky told her that the Iruka would not arrive for another five or so minutes, enough time to ask Shino a question, and receive a decent answer.

"Aburame-San, what makes a good team?" The bug user turned away from his study of the insects, an eyebrow raised.

"It depends, Hyuuga-San. There are many variables. Do you have a particular scenario in mind?"

"A team… for an assassination mission." Shino was silent for a moment, though there was an ominous buzzing from beneath his trench-coat.

"Stealth and speed are preferable to brawn in this scenario, and an intelligent strategist will be useful. The shinobi involved should know each other well for maximum effectiveness, as there will be few opportunities for safe communication. They should be able to read their comrades' movements and expressions and realise how best to support them from that. Specialisation may be most effective, depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy, but versatility may also be effective, once again depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy. Complementing abilities may be useful, but are not always practical, in case of multiple objectives. All attacks must be made with the intent to kill, or the group shall fail – a single weak link will break the chain. Is that sufficient, Hyuuga-San?"

"Yes…" Her team needed to be_ perfect _and now she knew what to look out for.

Shino grunted, then turned back to his inspection of the ants, silent once again. Hinata took her usual place, at the back, in a corner, from where she could see the entire class, and was protected on two sides by wall. Naruto and his group of friends were sharing a joke at the expense of the lazy Nara, Shikamaru. The Uchiha, Sasuke, grinned as he arrived, and his fanclub squealed with delight, each girl offering her seat to him. He made a great show of hesitating at each place, before moving on with the same smile. Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino both offered their seats to him simultaneously, and the Uchiha dallied for a moment, hovering between both of them whilst they giggled. Hinata turned away in disgust. Those two had been the best of friends until they had set their sights upon the Uchiha, but now they were at best rivals, at worst enemies for the affections of their crush.

She did not hear the simultaneous dismayed groans of the two Kunoichi, instead focusing hard on the door, willing Iruka to come through so that this day may be over quicker.

"Hello, Hinata-Chan," she heard, and turned sharply to her left, where Sasuke stood, _still_ smiling. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

"No, you may n-" she began, but he sat down anyway, ignoring her glare.

"Phew, thanks, Hinata-Chan." The Uchiha stretched in the chair, with the rest of the female population of the class fixated on his actions. _Why her?_ they silently screeched. _Why Hinata?_

"What are you doi-"

"All in good time, Hinata-Chan," Sasuke gave her a long, slow wink, and Hinata opened her mouth to tell him to stop calling her that, only for Iruka to enter the classroom, followed quickly by the assistant teacher Mizuki.

"Alright! Settle down, class!" Iruka slammed a mass of papers on his desk, causing those that had not been paying attention to jump.

"This is a very important day for you. All the lessons you've had lead to this test, to see whether or not you are ready to become a Genin. If you fail the test, you will not be considered shinobi material, and will live as a civilian. Those that _do_ pass have taken the first step on a long, dangerous, but rewarding road." Mizuki continued, a gleam entering his eyes as he mentioned the fate of those that did not pass.

"The test is in three parts, and failure on any one will mean the failure of the _entire_ exam. The first part is a written test, which we will hand out now." The two Chuunin proceeded to disperse the papers amongst the students.

"The test begins… now!" Iruka called, after making sure everyone had a sheet, and Hinata quickly began to answer the questions. Some were easy, asking for the names of certain techniques, or the seals required to use them. Others were more difficult, such as the one asking for the names of the "Heroes of the Second Great Ninja War". The Sannin were known to most, even the traitor Orochimaru had been honoured for his part in Konoha's victories, but Hatake Sakumo, the White Fang, had been given no such courtesy. Only those who had had someone in their family fight alongside him would remember him. Most of those from non-shinobi families would lose marks.

The last few questions were truly difficult, requiring strategy and foresight, and had no easy answer. The students were given a set number of shinobi, and asked how; in a hypothetical situation they would use them. Hinata finished, glanced at the timer which showed that she had five minutes to spare, and discreetly activated her Byakugan. _An intelligent strategist will be useful._ Haruno Sakura, despite answering the other questions with textbook answers, was struggling on the last one, her reputation of being amongst the smartest in the class seeming to stem from study rather than natural ability.

Shino's test paper was remarkably similar to her own, though he listed a different scenario in the final question, focusing on the sacrifice of the weaker members of his 'team' in order to provide openings for the stronger members. Perhaps too much time spent in the proximity of insects gave Aburames a distinctly ant-like approach to tasks.

The big surprise was Shikamaru. She had had the boy figured as a lazy child, who got so far solely due to the status of his father. However, his answers, though brief, were complex, far more so than her own. The Nara would require closer investigation, she decided, before focusing on the paper of Sasuke. Despite herself, she had to admit that the arrogant boy was a genius, having devised a strategy second only to Shikamaru's.

"Time's up!" Mizuki chuckled darkly, as he collected in the tests, making a bee-line for those students that seemed downcast. Once he had collected in all of them, he passed half to Iruka, and they marked in silence, before calling the names of those that had failed. Far more of Mizuki's share failed than Iruka's, and the Chuunin gave a scrutinising glance to his co-worker, before shrugging.

"The second portion would take place outside, but unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, it has been cancelled," he announced.

"Ne? Why, Iruka-Sensei?" Naruto scratched his head, and Mizuki answered.

"Normally, we'd have you test accuracy with weapons here, but… one student from last year changed our minds, after she managed to get a bull's-eye with six senbon needles in a row, from a far greater distance than others." A brief image of a grinning Tenten appeared in Hinata's mind, and the Hyuuga silently sighed at the thought of her energetic training partner.

"Instead, what we'll do is go straight to the third portion of the exam, where you will be called to do one basic Jutsu. In alphabetical order… Aburame Shino, Akimichi Chouji, come with us." Iruka and Mizuki left through a door, with the stoic Aburame and the large Akimichi following them. Hinata glanced after them, then averted her gaze. The Akimichi were known for their brawn, their strength, stamina and indomitable loyalty to friends, but those were not essential components of the team she wished to assemble, and may even become liabilities. Shino was… a mystery, even to her. She knew he could control Kikai Bugs, but outside of that… Of more important note were the slight, almost imperceptible movements of the Uchiha, as he shuffled closer towards her. Hinata shot him a glowering glare, to which he responded with that same _damned_ smile. Irritably, she put her pack on the seat between the two of them.

"Yatta!" called Chouji as he emerged from the examination room, clutching a Hitai-ate. Shino followed him silently, his own Hitai-ate already in place.

"Haruno Sakura!" called Iruka, and Sakura raced to the door to the examination room, sparing a couple of glances towards Sasuke, who pointedly ignored her. Ino followed after her, loudly demanding that she be tested alongside 'Forehead-Girl,' to which the Chuunin reluctantly agreed, to be spared the famous Yamanaka-Hime's temper.

"What are you doing?" Hinata hissed once they were gone, and Sasuke chuckled.

"Tou-San wants me to get engaged…" he began, and the blood drained from Hinata's face at the implications of his sentence.

"Never," she replied almost instantly.

"Tsk, it's not _you_ he wants me to marry. It's your scrawny sister, Hanabi. _You're_ for Itachi – I just get Aniki's leftovers."

"I will not allow it. I am the head of the Hyuuga…"

"So?" Sasuke cut her off with a snort. "Tou-San's got half the council in his pocket. If he wants it to happen, it'll happen. Just a matter of time." He fairly yawned the last part of that sentence, and stretched again. "Enjoy your last few months as a Hyuuga, Hinata-Chan. Pretty soon, you'll be my brother's _darling_ little wife." She wanted to hit him, so _badly_. There were only two things that stayed Hinata's hand. The thought of losing her chance as a ninja, and the knowledge that Sasuke was, most likely, stronger than she was. She was not so foolish as to jeopardise her meeting with Hizashi by taking such unnecessary risks.

Besides which… he spoke the truth. With the council on his side, Fugaku could force just about anything, short of instating a new Hokage. No matter how much she was against it… if he wanted it to happen, it would. The sudden sense of powerlessness only fuelled her anger.

"If… If I'm supposed to be Itachi's fiancée, why are _you_ talking to me? Don't you have _Hanabi_ to get acquainted with?" She sneered, and delighted in the anger that flashed across the Uchiha's face.

"I don't have any interest in that gawky little brat. You could say I am as thrilled by the proposal of marriage as much as you are – but I'm the _good_ little brother; the _good_ younger son. I don't complain, don't disobey, and _do not_ refuse Tou-San's wishes. Doesn't mean I have to like them." Bitterness crept across Sasuke's face, and his brow furrowed, his smile turning into a deep frown. The sudden change of emotion made Hinata blink. _Maybe they're right about the Uchihas… They shed their skin as quickly as snakes._

"What of Itachi? How does _he_ feel about this?"

"It doesn't matter what he thinks," Sasuke said, a tad too quickly.

"He's against it?" Hinata posed the question as innocently as she could. Hiashi had had in his possession several scrolls on the application of oneself in political debate, scrolls that Hinata had turned too when mastery of the Jyuuken eluded her. She could defeat Neji in _one_ area, at least, and the Byakugan allowed her to further read the faces of others, and see their reactions more accurately than through mere words. Though she had no interest, or frankly, talent for _making_ friends, she could insult and taunt others with ease, a feat which could even be useful in battle, if used right. Sasuke's face flickered a few times, between frustration, helplessness and sorrow.

"Itachi never does as he's told…" he muttered sullenly, before realising what he'd said and stiffening.

"Don't try that again, Hinata-_Chan_. No fucking _way_ that'll trick me twice."

"Sasuke-Kun! I passed!" Sakura raced towards her idol, arms outstretched for a hug.

"That's great, Sakura," he said quietly, and patted her on the head, before standing.

"You're next, Hinata," he said, and shortly afterwards, Mizuki called her name. Hinata nodded and smiled, before moving off to the open door, closing it behind her.

--

"Okay, Hinata, could you please perform a Bunshin no Jutsu?"

"Hai," Hinata said, and made a clone, though it was immaterial. It would only be good against low-level shinobi, or those without shinobi training, who could not tell it from the real thing, and even then only as a distraction.

"Very good," Iruka said, and scribbled something on his ever-present clipboard. "Now, a Henge, please?"

"Hai." She moulded chakra, and then changed. Mizuki gave a confused 'hmm?' and she glanced at the two teachers.

"What?" she said, but the voice was… no!

She quickly brought her arms up to her face, taking in the familiar bandage-wrappings, before running a hand through her hair.

"Interesting… Any reason you picked Sasuke as your model, Hinata?" Mizuki grinned, and she fixed him with her darkest glare as she poofed back. She'd meant to do Neji… or Hanabi… or anyone else… anyone other than Hizashi, that is…

"Slip of the moment, Mizuki-Sensei," she said simply, and Iruka shot his comrade a look that clearly said 'be quiet.'

"You pass, Hinata," the scarred Chuunin said warmly, and took a Hitai-ate from the desk, passing it to her. She nodded to him, and fastened it around her neck before opening the door and returning to the classroom…

She glared at Sasuke, who stretched out across her normal seat, grinning, before Naruto piped up, louder than life.

"Alright, Hinata! I knew you'd pass, just like you said, just like Chouji!" The orange-clad ninja pumped a fist into the air, before Shikamaru grabbed his collar and dragged him back down into his seat, muttering 'troublesome.'

_Naruto…_ She may not like him, but even his presence would be preferable to the intolerable, arrogant Uchiha. Hinata strode towards the Uzumaki, then sat down next to him.

"Thank you… Naruto-Kun," she said, almost smiling at the bemused expression across his face. She could feel Sasuke's burning glare on her back, but paid it no heed.

"Inuzuka Kiba!" Mizuki called, and Kiba vaulted over his desk.

"Wish me luck, guys," he called, and Akamaru yipped at the class, before the two of them entered the examination room.

_So… I've graduated… I wonder who my team-mates will be?_ It was just a formality, a stepping-stone, until she could become a Jounin, and then a Hunter-Nin, and finally track down Hizashi. Still… it would take a few years at least, and there were definitely some in the class she would prefer to be stuck with than others. Uchiha rated very lowly on the list of people she wanted to be on her team, and she half-wished she had been in the academy _last_ year. She may have enjoyed being on Tenten's team – it seemed balanced enough, and she could keep an eye on Neji whilst she was at it. The Lee boy seemed like a liability to them in any case, and would not have been missed…

Hinata was dragged out of her reverie when the final name was called.

"Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto gave her his trademark beaming smile.

"I'm gonna pass, Hinata, just like you said!" he said, before running into the examination room.

"Hinata, what're you doing?" Hinata glanced to her right, where Nara Shikamaru lay, resting his head on his forearms, glancing at her with one tired eye.

"I wanted to sit here, Nara-San. Is that a problem?"

"Not really… But it's unexpected, for a Hyuuga such as yourself to come down and mix with us 'commoners.' "

"I have my reasons."

"Do they include the Uchiha?"

"They do not include you."

"…Whatever… It is too troublesome to argue with you." He turned his head, and ignored her. And Sasuke was _still _looking! She was just about ready to go up and confront him, when Naruto ran from the examination room, tears dripping freely from his eyes and running down his face. He did not have a Hitai-ate in his hand. He bit back a strangled sob, giving the class a final look, before turning and fleeing.

_Naruto…_ Now his dreams would come to naught. All his loud claims of becoming Hokage, his determination, his certainty… It was all wasted.

_That's what you deserve…_ part of her thought harshly. _If you were that determined, you should have come to lessons, and made an effort to become stronger, instead of playing your pranks. Besides, I don't have time to focus on any dreams other than my own._

"Okay, that's it," Iruka said, as he emerged from the examination room. "You're dismissed for the day – come back tomorrow to be sorted into teams. I wish you luck on your future careers as shinobi. Mizuki?"

"Yeah, yeah. Don't get cocky, brats. Just 'cause you're Genin doesn't mean anything," the silver-haired Chuunin said briefly, before leaving the classroom. Iruka shot his back a pointed glare, before sighing. He looked truly disheartened, and Hinata knew why. The Chuunin was known to have a soft spot for Naruto. The fact that despite this he had failed him spoke volumes to his dedication to duty, and made Hinata's respect for him rise, despite his noticeable lack of skill. She stood to leave, but froze when she felt a hand clap down on her shoulder. Glancing behind her, she saw Sasuke, his face still in the _same damned smile_.

"Hinata-Chan, you forgot this," he said, holding her backpack. She snatched it from him, quickly giving it a check with Byakugan to make sure he had not tampered with it, before she shouldered it and turned to leave.

"Meet me at the Memorial Stone," Sasuke whispered in her ear, and she stifled the urge to flinch away from the closeness of his mouth. "I have something to tell you there." Then he passed by her. Hinata shrugged, and made sure to leave after a sizeable number of Genin were between her and the Uchiha.

Outside, she could see parents waiting for their children, grinning at those that bore Hitai-ate. The Akimichi clan head, Chouza, gave his son a thump on the back that would have staggered normal shinobi, but Chouji just laughed it off. Inuzuka Kiba was being dogpiled by no less than three nin-dogs, whilst his mother, Inuzuka Tsume, and his sister, Hana, looked on, making a sound somewhere between a bark and a laugh. Shino was met by a man she assumed was his father, though, like Shino, he wore clothes that all but concealed his identity. Both Aburames were conversing in tones just above a hushed whisper.

Then she saw Naruto, sitting awkwardly on a swing, his face downcast. He looked about ready to cry again, and for the second time, Hinata felt sorry for him. He was the only person here, aside from her, whom did not have parents to go home to. She didn't even know what his home was like – her father had never mentioned to her an Uzumaki clan, so they could not have been one of the important, rich clans.

Then she saw a third child who did not have parents coming to pick them up. Uchiha Sasuke stood with hands in pockets as his brother and cousin, both in ANBU uniform, approached him. Whilst Shisui ruffled his cousin's hair, Itachi spoke in clipped tones, before sending a glance over to her, which made her shiver.

"Aneki? Can we go home now?" Hinata looked down when she felt a tiny hand grip her sleeve and tug at it. Hanabi looked back up at her, small and willow-thin, but with eyes that seemed almost too large for her.

"Of course, Imoutou." She took her sister's hand in hers.

"Did you get a present, Aneki?" Hanabi actually had hope in her eyes at this, hope that her sister would prove her wrong this time, and actually surpass her expectations. Hinata felt like making an excuse, knowing full-well that Hanabi would just droop, forgotten again, but as she opened her mouth, the image of Sasuke crept into her mind. _"I just get Aniki's leftovers."_

"Imoutou, I have the perfect gift for you," she said. She wasn't quite sure how to tell her sister that she would be betrothed to Uchiha Sasuke, but it would be easier, she decided, after her temperament was sweetened with a gift. Hanabi grinned, and tried to run, almost pulling her sister along with her. Hinata's heart sank as she saw that Hanabi's path would take them straight to the Uchihas, and she glanced once again at the three of them. Itachi gave her the same bone-chilling look, as if he was dissecting her with his eyes. Shisui's face seemed almost apologetic, whilst Sasuke sent a sneering glare at her, with his eyes almost… _Regretful?_ Before she could determine whether that had actually been regret she saw, or not, Itachi said something to Sasuke, and he looked away from her. Hinata too averted her eyes, as Hanabi half-dragged her home. Briefly, she wondered what Neji was doing – his team were routinely doing C-Class missions now.

--

"Fucking brat!" screamed the bandit as he swung down with a curved blade. Neji moved slightly, enough so that the sword would cut down through empty air. As it touched the ground, he placed one foot on its side and stepped down, pinning it to the ground and sending the bandit stumbling due to his own momentum. A quick Jyuuken strike to the chest finished him off.

"Die!" yelled another one, swinging wildly at him with a pair of short swords, or possibly long knives. Neji dodged aside from his clumsy blows, before catching one between his index and middle fingers. The man flinched, and Neji half-smiled.

"Kaiten," he said, and span, emitting Chakra. It took form in a rough dome, covering the arm of the bandit. The bandit, refusing to relinquish his grip on his weapon, had his arm twisted and broken in several places, before he was sent flying. He smacked into a rock, and lay still, his right arm a bloody stump. Neji stopped spinning, rotated the knife in his finger-grip, and flung it into the chest of another bandit.

"Neji-Kun! Your youthful skill never ceases to amaze me!" Neji almost groaned as Rock Lee, his team-mate, appeared beside him, grinning madly and holding a thumbs-up. However, it vanished as quickly as it appeared as a massive bandit entered into their view, holding what could have been either a large club or a small tree. Lee jumped, and spun his leg around into a snap-kick.

"Konoha Sempuu!" he called, before kicking the bandit in the neck. He gurgled, and Lee, using his momentum, span again, and launched a second kick in the exact same spot. The bandit teetered, and Lee, still in the air, threw a fist into the bandit's gut. Another kick to the back of his skull, and the bandit fell to the ground.

"Yosh! The power of youth fells even the mightiest of trees!" he exclaimed, and Tenten sighed, as she removed a kunai from the skull of another bandit.

"These guys weren't worth the fight. I wasted a half-dozen of my father's kunai for nothing…" She jumped as another shinobi landed just in front of her, wearing the same green spandex as Lee.

"A-HA! C-Class mission: 'Remove the Unyouthful Bandits' is… Complete!" He gave a thumbs-up, and his teeth sparkled as he smiled. "Hokage-Sama will be pleased with the results of your youthful excursion. Now, we will return to Konoha before nightfall – if we do not, I will run 500 laps around the village!"

"You'll probably do that anyway," Neji sighed, but smiled. His team may not have been perfect, but there were definitely worse teams to be on. Even if Lee could be annoying in his worse moments, he was usually amusing, to say the least. His hero-worship of Gai had made him unusually… eccentric for his age, making Neji remark, more than once, on the nuances of fate.

"Neji, my eternal rival!" A blur of green, and then a widely grinning Lee stood in front of him. "How many of the unyouthful bandits did _you_ dispatch, my eternal rival?" That was another of Gai and Lee's little eccentricities, eccentric but not _un_beneficial – their constant need to prove themselves by comparism with another. When Lee had discovered that Gai had a rival, the "terribly cool and hip" Hatake Kakashi, he had immediately looked for the 'coolest and most hip' person available, and Neji had fallen neatly into that category. Such was fate.

"I defeated-" he began, but Lee cut him off, an almost sly smile across his features.

"Surely it was not more than my _twelve_, Neji-Kun." He toyed with the idea of lowering his count, before realising that that would have the _opposite_ effect to that he wanted. Lee's enthusiastic tone would have fooled anyone that did not know him into thinking he _enjoyed_ the kill. They would be wrong – make mistakes and assumptions, like all those who did not know Lee did. Lee took every last kill seriously, more so than any other Genin, and most Chuunin that Neji knew. He made sure to remember the names of those he killed, and as soon as they broke up for the night, he would be writing letters of condolence, to the families of the outlaws he killed, begging their forgiveness. If he thought he had killed the most out of Team Gai, he would be beside himself, and drown his sorrows in Sake (with disastrous results), weeping for those 'lost souls, killed in the summer of their youth.' He may not, perhaps, have been the best choice for a Shinobi – Neji knew that Hinata viewed him already as weak, and if she knew him, would be one of those whose opinion only worsened – but Neji knew he was skilled despite his flaws, and thus he forgave him his weaknesses, and adjusted his actions in order to avoid them – just as he used to do with Hinata.

"Fourteen," Neji replied. Lee may be disappointed, to have not defeated his 'eternal rival', but would unconsciously be spared even worse pain.

"No! My eternal rival triumphs again! Gai-Sensei, we must train more, to overcome our rivals!"

"Excellent idea, Lee! When we return, we will run 500 laps around the village!"

"You were going to do that anyway…" Tenten began, before pouting. "I only got eight bandits though… you guys got all the best fights…"

"Do not worry, Tenten," Neji said without looking over his shoulder. If he had, he would have seen the kunoichi blush, a very rare occurrence given her normally unflappable nature. "Fate dictates that on our next mission you will have the most important role." He made a mental note to take Lee aside and explain to him to let Tenten do the most work during their next mission – to show off her training. If you mentioned training around the 'Genius of Hard Work', he would instantly agree.

"That is right, Tenten! You will surpass your feats in your next battle, and the one after that, and the one after that! Just like you said to your sparring partner, Neji's cousin!"

"Hinata…" Whilst Tenten trained with the girl often enough to consider her a friend, and maintained that 'She's a really nice girl once you get to know her,' whenever Neji was around, or what remained of the Hyuuga clan was alone, she was cold and distant, and had nothing for him but scathing insults. Not for the first time, he thought back… to _that_ day. Did Hinata blame him in part for the actions of Hizashi? Or was he simply an unwelcome everyday reminder, that Hizashi still lived on, in the son that every day seemed to resemble him more and more?

Neji had long since stopped dwelling on the day of the Hyuuga clan massacre. Fate dealt them a heavy blow, but not a mortal one. He had been saved from the Caged Bird Seal, at the cost of his father's soul. Hinata had lost her parents, a truly harsh blow, but… He suspected that if they had lived, Hinata would never have become as strong as she had, and would not be much happier. Hyuuga Hiashi had never been the nicest of people, a trait that Hinata regrettably seemed to be picking up. Hanabi… Hanabi was by far the worst off in this whole sorry business. Hinata at least knew what it was _like_ to have parents – Hanabi did not. The closest thing the youngest Hyuuga had to parents were Hinata and Neji, and truth be told, they had done a terrible job at bringing the girl up. Hinata shunned human contact, and held onto her hate as if it were her only lifeline, and Neji… Neji actually_ feared_ to be near her. He could stomach his own weaknesses – they were his and his alone, but he would never force them onto anyone else – never corrupt them to follow his own beliefs. Hinata believed him unfocused, forgetful of the pact they had made as small, scared, hateful children, the pact to kill his father. The truth was worse than Hinata dared to believe. Neji was not only doubting their pact, but reconsidering it. Hinata was wholly entitled to her revenge, but… no matter what he had done, Hyuuga Hizashi was, and would forever remain his father. It would be unnatural for a child to have no feelings whatsoever for his parents.

"Neji? Hey, Neji, are you okay?" The Hyuuga genius shook himself out of his thoughts, and glanced back at Tenten. The kunoichi looked at him curiously, head slightly tilted towards her right shoulder.

"I am fine, Tenten. I will see you tomorrow, but… I am required at the Hyuuga compound."

"But Neji, we were going to go out and celebrate! You _promised_!"

"I am sorry, Tenten. Next time." He hurriedly bowed then turned to leave, oblivious of the weapon mistress's distress.

"Do not worry, Tenten! Gai-Sensei knows a great nightclub! We will party until the dawn rises tomorrow, and if we cannot, I will walk from here to Suna and back on my hands!"

"That's the spirit, Lee!" Gai said, and Tenten sighed again as the two looked at her and simultaneously struck their 'nice-guy' poses, complete with sparkling teeth and ocean background.

--

The Hyuuga compound was normally deathly silent. At first, the Hokage had assigned civilian maids to take the place traditionally assigned to Branch members, but had stopped when Hinata had Jyuukened three of them near to death when they tried to clean her room whilst she was asleep. Even then, when she banned all non-Hyuugas from entering the premises, there had been those, who felt sorry for what they saw as three desperately alone children, leaving flowers and gifts by the gate. Hinata, it turned out, despised the pity of other people, and ambushed a group of well-wishers when they next came by. It was only through the intervention of Neji that they had avoided death. Since then, the Hyuuga compound had been avoided like the plague.

However, when Neji entered the house he shared with Hinata and Hanabi, there was one sound; quiet, but distinct, that broke the silence. The sound of someone crying softly. Immediately, he rushed towards the sound, ready to launch an attack in an instant. Was there an intruder? _Oh Kami-Sama!_ He turned a corner… and froze. Hanabi was on her knees, clutching a white-and-silver dress tightly, burying her face in it.

"Hanabi-neesan?" he said, and Hanabi looked up at him with those wide-as-the-moon eyes.

"Neji-niisan!" she squealed, genuinely happy. Neji was unsurprised – Hanabi was known almost everywhere in Konoha for her extreme moodswings. She could change from happy to sad to angry to bored in under a minute, and genuinely _feel_ all those emotions.

"What… I heard crying," he said. "I came to make sure you were alright."

"Look, Neji-niisan! Aneki gave me this as a present! It's the _best_ birthday present ever! It's so soft, and beautiful, and…" Hanabi took a breath. "Aneki said I look just like Ka-San! Do I, niisan?"

Neji forced a smile onto his face and nodded. He knew that it wasn't the present itself, but the fact that Hinata had deigned to _give_ her a present that made his cousin so delighted. Even so… he frowned slightly. That was Hikari's dress, more importantly, her _wedding_ dress. He felt a presence behind him, and turned to see Hinata, who glanced between him and Hanabi before deciding that she couldn't let Hanabi hear what she had to say.

"Neji, we need to talk. Alone." Neji just nodded and complied. She led him out of their house, and into another abandoned one. Neji realised with a slightly sinking heart that it was _his _house, or at least, _Hizashi's_ house. That meant that whatever Hinata was going to tell him would be of great importance. She didn't stop as they entered the house, going to the basement before she stopped. Even then, there were a few more minutes of silence before Neji spoke.

"Hinata-Sama, what is the matter?"

"… Several things. I am expecting a delegation from the council, asking me to accept a betrothal for myself and Hanabi, to Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke." She waited for his reaction, and Neji forced a look of anger on his face, though in reality… It would not hurt Hinata to have a reason to forget Hizashi, and marriage may be what was needed. He did not know exactly how good a husband Itachi would be, but…

"We will fight them," he said.

"I hoped you'd say that. That's the determination I wanted to see whenever I said the name 'Hizashi'… This makes the other matter so much simpler."

"The other matter, Hinata-Sama?"

"Tomorrow I will be assigned to a Genin team, Neji. Tomorrow, I will spar with you again, to see if I still need you. I suggest you be prepared." That said, she turned on her heel, and left him, as quickly as she had come. Neji looked after her, then sighed and brushed the dust from his robes. It was Hanabi's birthday, and she would need him, in the absence of her sister.

--

Hinata paused as she saw Hanabi, proudly proclaiming to her doll that this was her _best_ birthday ever, before she silently slipped away to her room. She did not have any room in her stomach for dinner – as filled with frustration and disappointment as it was.

"You could at least have _tried_ to look like you cared, Neji," she said softly. He didn't seem to understand that the _reason_ she hated him was because of his indifference, his high-and-mighty attitude, his unshakeable belief that, no matter what, _fate_ would be kind to him. Angrily, she turned on her side and shut her eyes tight, before realising that it was _that_ day. Another sleepless night for her.

"_Meet me at the Memorial Stone. I have something to tell you there."_ The Uchiha's words stayed with her, even though she wanted _so_ much to forget him, or, even better, to kill him, and his entire damned family. They did not _deserve_ their power, at the Hyuuga's expense… What made him think she'd come to _him_, like some sort of _pet?_

_Curiosity,_ she answered herself. _Just like a cat, you'll want to find out what happens next._

She sat up quickly, and gritted her teeth. Fine, she'd go. It wasn't like she had anything else to do tonight. But one step wrong… one step wrong and the Uchiha clan would be missing a member by tomorrow.

**A/N:**

**Yeah, sorry about me saying I'd update Prodigy and Outcast next, but I had a writing bug for this story, and am having trouble deciding exactly what to do with P&O at the moment. 6.6K words (without Author's Notes) make this my longest chapter to date, and I hope to maintain this word count for all my stories.**

**Just to get a few things straight before I'm bombarded with "WTF!? Ita/Hina, Sasu/Hana?!" There are NO pairings decided as of yet, and this is just a plot device to better incorporate the Uchihas into the story, and show what I think Sasuke would've been like if there was no Uchiha Massacre - a spoiled, arrogant, yet insecure child who desperately wants to surpass Itachi.**

**If you have any particular preferences on pairings and the like, feel free to say so in reviews/PMs. I can squeeze in pretty much anything, though this story won't be pairing-dominated.**

**In addition, a couple of polls, for possible plot-hooks.**

**1: Cursed Seal:**

**A: Sasuke gets it**

**B: Hinata gets it**

**C: Sasuke and Hinata get it**

**D: Other (please specify)**

**2: Wave Arc:**

**A: It happens**

**B: It happens, with a twist!**

**C: It doesn't happen, but I want Zabuza and Haku to appear in the story anyway**

**D: It doesn't happen, I don't care about Zabuza and Haku**

**3: Hizashi**

**A: Hizashi is with Akatsuki**

**B: Hizashi is with Orochimaru**

**C: Hizashi is... (please specify)**

**Finally, an update on my other works: P&O _will_ be updated, no matter what, but COTR9 will be undergoing a complete rewrite, as I'm actually quite ashamed of the quality of writing in it. Secret War will also continue, and I'm interested in whether people feel my OC's are too overpowered or not, since that was my biggest fear with regards to OC's.**

**'Till next time, Subutai's Ghost.**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Hinata/Sasuke:

**A/N: Here's another update. Same polls as last time are still in effect, thought the "Wave Arc or not?" Poll will close next chapter, unless I specifically state that it will be kept open.**

_Why did I do this again?_ It had all been on a whim – and a dangerous one at that. It was unlike him, to act so spontaneously. Uchihas were _not_ spontaneous. They were cold, calm, _calculating_. They didn't do anything that did not benefit them. They didn't take foolish risks on a whim. But he had, and he did. The Uchiha compound wasn't well guarded, anyway – who could consider themselves strong enough to take on the Uchiha? It was simple enough to sneak out when one shift of Military Police came in, and another left.

Still, just because it was easy to sneak out didn't mean nobody would look for him. If Tou-San did so, and discovered he was not in the compound… Worse still, if he discovered _why_ he was out here… There were few things that scared Sasuke, but Tou-San's anger was definitely amongst them. Despite that, there was something strangely _satisfying_ about disobeying Uchiha Fugaku, and something even more so about winding up a certain high-and-mighty Hyuuga, a task he was more than capable at. His smile turned into a frown as a sudden breeze reminded him of the cold.

Cold air chafed Sasuke where his skin wasn't covered, and chilled him even where he had covered it. Autumns in Konoha were cold, especially at night, but he refused to wear more than he did normally. After all, neither Itachi nor Shisui wore more than standard ANBU uniform, no matter what the weather.

It only made them stronger, Tou-San said. Through conquering pain and discomfort, one could _only_ become stronger. Besides, there was no way Sasuke would admit Itachi could do anything that he could not.

Kicking absently at the ground in front of him, he glared at the great carved slab of obsidian that jutted out of the ground. Carved into it, looking silver in the moonlight, were name after name, of those that had died in battle, in service to Konoha. There were a fair few Uchihas there, though only the last one was someone he remembered meeting.

Uncle Obito – the youngest brother of Fugaku. 'Died saving Hatake Kakashi and Inuzuka Rin in a skirmish with Iwa Jounin.' It was a shame; it was said that he had activated his Sharingan during the battle, and when Kakashi came back, it was with a two-tomoe Sharingan in place of his left eye. The Uchiha had raised hell – 'Sacrilege!' they cried. 'Dishonour!' They pretended to be bereaved, to want Obito's eye at least to lay to rest, even if his body eluded them. However, the Hyuuga were still whole at this time, and wanted nothing more than to humiliate the Uchiha, so voted against them.

Thus Kakashi was allowed to keep his eye, and whilst Uchihas fumed with anger, Hyuugas smiled. _Who's smiling now?_ The Uchihas were unchallenged in power now – not even the Hokage could stop their wishes, but the Hyuugas… Sasuke had only been a child when it had happened, but he had rarely seen his father so happy. He had smiled and laughed and even danced, whilst Sasuke imitated him. Itachi and Shisui and even little Sasuke had been surrounded, congratulated and showered with presents, as if they were the ones that had done the deed. Then the adults had retired to Uncle Teuchi's house, whilst the children talked excitedly amongst themselves. At some point, he'd found himself next to Itachi, and asked the obvious question.

"_Aniki, what's a massacre?" Sasuke could barely hold in his excitement. Tou-San had looked _so_ happy, and all the Uchihas were laughing and singing and dancing. Massacres must be the best things on earth, if people celebrated so much! Even Itachi was smiling, his normally sharp eyes slightly unfocused. He was only eleven, but Tou-San was so proud of him for telling him about the massacre that he'd let him drink Sake, though he said Sasuke was still too young. Itachi had already had several cups, and his brow furrowed in thought as he tried to recall what the word actually meant._

"_Well… Well…" Itachi's eyes lit up as he hit upon the meaning, then he glanced at his brother. Something inside him, some fragment not dulled by alcohol, told him that Fugaku and Mikoto would not want him to tell Sasuke what a massacre was, but… well, he asked! "A Massacre… I'll show you!" Sasuke had fairly squealed with excitement. He hadn't expected this at all!_

_Itachi led him outside, swaying slightly as he struggled to keep his balance, and Sasuke bounced along behind him as they made their way towards the Hyuuga compound. Sasuke already knew they were going there – it was obvious that that was where the massacre had happened. Was it like a party? Would there be other children there? He remembered meeting a couple of Hyuuga children about his age a few months ago – Hina… Hinata! That was her name, and the boy… Neji? They were like him, smiling happy children. That must mean they were excited about the massacre as well!_

_But there wasn't any music, or laughing, or singing when they reached the Hyuuga compound. It was silent, and there were no lights on at all._

_  
"Aniki? Where's all the Hyuugas?" Sasuke looked around and frowned. Maybe they were in a house a bit further away? But Itachi was making his way over to a tent. Sasuke didn't like the look of it. If the Hyuugas were in there, and they were happy, wouldn't there be lights and music?_

_  
"They're in hic here, Sasuke."  
_

"_Are they sleeping, Aniki?" Itachi looked thoughtful for a moment._

_  
"Yes… Yes they are…" he giggled, then lifted the tent-flap. There were shapes inside, covered with cloth. Sasuke inched inside, but he was feeling a bit scared now. After all, it was dark, and so very quiet, and none of the shapes looked like they were moving. Itachi put a hand on one of the cloth-covered shapes, then lifted it. Sasuke looked, and his eyes grew wide, and his hands flew to his mouth at the sight of the corpse – bloated from where Jyuuken strikes had caused flesh and muscle to swell ; eyes wide and staring; mouth open in a silent, endless scream._

"_A-Aniki? Th-they… they don't look h-happy…"_

"_They're not, Ototou-baka. They're hic dead!" and Itachi laughed again, not a half-hearted giggle but a full-blown, roaring laugh, as he clutched his sides. He grabbed another sheet and threw it off, and this time it was a woman's corpse. Sasuke flinched back, as Itachi grabbed more and more, revealing more and more bodies._

"_Dead! Dead! They're all dead! All the Hyuugas! All gone!" Itachi turned to Sasuke, a broad smile on his face, his eyes lucid and clear. "That's what a massacre is, Ototou. That's why we're celebrating."_

_They had gone back to the Uchiha compound in silence, but Sasuke could not stop shaking, and could not go to sleep for a week. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw swollen bloated bodies, silently screaming, and sweating blood._

Two days after, after trying to avoid Itachi for as long as possible, his big brother had cornered him. Sasuke thought he was going to massacre _him_, but all Itachi said was to tell nobody that he had been drunk. Then he had gone. No apologies, not even a flicker of doubt about his actions – Itachi didn't _ever_ doubt, didn't ever _regret_ what he did. Sasuke spat on the ground in front of him – Itachi had never spoken about that incident again. As far as he was concerned, it was over and done, and that was that. Never mind that he'd scarred his brother, that didn't concern him at all. He was glad he had parents – if he hadn't had Ka-San, he may still be having those nightmares now.

"_Ka-San?" Sasuke liked those days when everyone was too busy to train with him. It meant he could stay close to his mother. Mikoto had retired from being an active shinobi when she gave birth to her first son, Itachi. Now, she cooked, and cleaned, and enjoyed gardening. She still kept in touch with her schoolfriends: Auntie Kurenai, and Auntie Yuugao, and Anko-Chan, who said she wasn't old enough to be an auntie. Ka-San said that when her children were full-grown she may become a ninja again, but Sasuke didn't know if it was that fun for her, if she'd given it up in the first place._

"_Yes, Sasuke?" Mikoto smiled all the time; if not with her mouth then with her eyes, and Sasuke loved her eye-smile, when they curved up into little half-moons._

_  
"I can't sleep anymore. Aniki gave me nightmares." He felt stupid, admitting weakness. If Tou-San had heard, he'd snort and say that 'nightmares are for the weak', and take him out to work on his stances. But Ka-San understood him. She stopped watering plants immediately, even though she loved her garden, because she loved him more. She came over to him, knelt, and wrapped her arms around him – gently, not too tight, but enough to make him feel secure. After a moment, he wrapped his arms around her too._

_  
"Now, Sasuke, tell me about it." Sasuke did so, the whole thing, even the drunkenness, which Aniki told him not to tell. Ka-San listened, because she was good at listening. But she was even better at making him feel better. She took a hand and ruffled his hair, because she knew he liked that, and then she kissed him on the forehead, and when he looked up, he saw that she was smiling at him, with eyes and mouth._

_  
"Now, Sasuke, we're safe here. There's nobody in the world that can hurt you in here, and do you know why?"_

"_Why?" Sasuke knew, of course. Nobody could hurt the Uchiha clan – they were elite!_

_  
"Because I love you, and I'd _never,_ never _ever _let anyone hurt you." Sasuke looked into her eyes, and knew she was telling the truth._

_  
"I love you too, Ka-San," he said, and tightened his grip, because even though he loved Tou-San, and Aniki, and Shisui-niisan, he _loved_ Ka-San the most._

_And just like that, he wasn't afraid anymore. Because Ka-San loved him, and she'd never let anyone hurt him – she'd promised!_

_  
Then, just as he didn't think he could get happier, he felt his hair get wet, and looked up in surprise. They were inside, there shouldn't be rain, and anyway it was a sunny day. What he saw horrified him. Ka-San, _his_ Ka-San, was crying. What had he done?_

_  
"Ka-San? Ka-San! I'm sorry!" He could feel the tears coming to his eyes now, a burning sensation at the corners of his eyes. "I'm sorry! Please don't cry!" He didn't know what he'd done, but he just wanted it to _stop

"_Sasuke… Sasuke… It's not your fault… It's just… I love you, and you know I do, but…" He desperately didn't want her to continue. Whatever was going on was making her sad, and he didn't want that at all! "It's the Hyuugas…" He looked up, surprised, before remembering that she hadn't gone with Tou-San and the others to uncle Teuchi's house to celebrate the massacre._

"_What? Why?"_

"_There are three of them left, Sasuke… But they don't have parents… They don't have _anyone_ to love them." She released him from the hug, and clasped his little hands in hers. "Promise me, Sasuke. Promise me that you'll look after them. They need friends, those Hyuugas – they don't have anyone."_

"_I promise," Sasuke said, and he meant it. Of course he meant it, he meant _everything_ he said to Ka-San._

"_Good, good. I knew I could count on you, Sasuke. Why don't we go out, for Ramen, okay?" she wiped the tears from her face with the back of her sleeve, and smiled again, though only with her mouth. "When Itachi gets back, I'll have a talk with him, and you come see me straight away if he scares you, okay?"_

"_Hai, Ka-San!"_

The next day, he tried to leave the compound, to go the Hyuuga residence, but Tou-San caught him, and asked what he was doing. When Sasuke explained, Tou-San got angry, and forbid him to leave the compound, and when Sasuke said that Ka-San made him promise, he got even _angrier_, and made Sasuke train with Itachi for the rest of the day. He didn't see Ka-San for a week, and when he did, she had horrible bruises over her face, and spoke in a hushed whisper. He didn't see his aunties Kurenai or Yuugao again either – they just stopped coming to the Uchiha compound, and when he saw Anko-Chan, she looked at him like she wanted to _kill_ him. He hadn't realised what had had happened until he was ten, but the message had been stamped into him even then – even when they shut him in a dark room with a brother that knew, that just _knew_ he had disobeyed him: Do what your Tou-San tells you.

He'd grown up quickly after that. It was easy, once he'd figured out that Ka-San had lied. They'd hurt him, and she couldn't protect him, no matter how much she loved him. The only thing that could protect him was himself, by being stronger than those that would hurt him. No amount of _love_ could stop Tou-San's anger; after all, he'd almost killed his wife for trying to be kind to others. No amount of _love_ could stop Itachi from being there, in the dark, making his little brother _beg_ him to stop scaring him. No, the only way to stop them was to be _stronger_ than they were. And he was nowhere near strong enough yet – not strong enough to stand up to Tou-San, and _definitely_ not strong enough to stand up to Aniki, who everyone said was the strongest Uchiha seen in generations.

Then why was he here? If he was caught… It would make last time look as if he got off _easily_. Tou-San's punishments compared to Ka-San's promise… He sighed, breath coming out in a cloud, and turned to leave.

"I didn't think you'd be here." He stiffened as he heard the footsteps behind him, and turned to see the Hyuuga head glaring at him.

"Hinata-Chan," he said, and forced a smile onto his numbed lips.

"Hurry up and speak your piece, Uchiha. I can't spend all night here."

"Are you always this cold, Hinata-Chan?"

"To you, yes. Is that all?"

"Well, I was going to suggest a way out of the marriage…" She moved quickly, grabbing him by the collar.

"How?" she said, but her eyes burned with a thousand other statements, mostly the various ways she'd cause him pain if he was lying.

"Simple. You're the Hyuuga head, you decide, usually, who in the clan marries who, right?"

"Not this time, though. Not with the council against me. They'll force me to marry an Uchiha." She slumped slightly, and Sasuke grinned. She was just like him – she hated to lose.

"Then marry me," he said, and was only faintly surprised when she slapped him. The imprint of her hand left his cheek red, but he didn't cry out. She slapped him again, as if to prove her point.

"_That's_ your plan? I remember what you said, about getting 'Itachi's leftovers'; is this just about _you_?" He looked into her eyes, and saw that it was truth.

"Are you _always_ this stupid? This is the only way you'll get out of your marriage. Hell, I'm not happy about it either – I don't _want_ to get married off just yet. This is… This is just the _only_ way."

"Why? Why would you do this, if you don't want to?"

"It's a promise I made, that's all." He smiled inside at the crestfallen look on her face. _That's right – I'm not doing this for _you_ at all, this is for Ka-San._ Then Hinata's face hardened.

"I refuse. I'll find my own way. I'm not going to be bound to _any_ Uchihas. _Especially_ not you."

"Fine. Don't say I never tried to help. I kept my promise. Just don't come crying to me when Itachi claims you, Hyuuga." He turned on his heel, trying hard to feel angry. Not that it was _hard_ to be angry, it was just hard to feel enough anger to suppress the hollow feeling in his chest.

"Wait." He almost, _almost_ didn't. He _almost_ kept on going, but he didn't. He turned, met her accusing glare. "What was this promise?"

"The one I swore with my mother, to 'Look after the Hyuugas.' The promise that cost her _everything_. She wouldn't have done it, if she knew what a stuck-up bitch you'd turn out to be." _Ka-San was worth more to me than you'll ever be._

"Your _mother?_ I didn't need her _pity_…" She barely finished speaking before Sasuke vanished in a blur. One fist grabbed the front of her jumper, the other came back for a punch, which she knocked aside with her wrist, before activating her Byakugan.

"Fine. I won't take pity you. I've always wanted to see how I'd match up against a Hyuuga. How's this for a deal – I win, and you go with my plan."

"And if you lose?" Hinata could not keep the smile off her face. _Finally! She could finally give the Uchiha the beating she'd wanted to for so long._

"If I lose… I'll refuse to marry Hanabi, so the whole betrothal will be cancelled." _Tou-San will be furious, of course._

"Deal," Hinata said, and sent a Jyuuken strike towards his chest, aiming for the tenketsu. He dodged aside, smiling widely now, and sent a forearm strike towards her face. She ducked under it, and struck again, this time aiming for a leg. _If I can hit that, he'll be unable to dodge the rest of my blows_.

"Too slow, Hinata-_Chan_," he called, as he jumped, and formed some hand-seals.

"Bunshin no Jutsu," he said, and three copies of him appeared – Hinata grinned. It was easy to see which of them was the real Sasuke – it had so much more chakra than these Bunshins. Before they even landed, she had begun her next attack, and this time it hit, and sealed one of the tenketsu in Sasuke's right arm. He flinched, allowing her to seal another, and another, and then he disappeared in a puff of smoke. _Kawarimi!_ She turned in time to see his punch collide with her cheek, and then he swept her legs from under her with a kick.

She landed heavily, and Sasuke flexed his arm, wincing.

"Nice trick, Hinata-Chan, but it ends here." He took a kunai from his pouch, spinning it around his finger, and then made as if to strike.

"That is enough. You will not hurt Hinata-Sama." Neji spoke quietly, but forcefully as he grabbed Sasuke's wrist with one hand, making sure his index finger was close to a major vein. If he used Jyuuken, Sasuke could very well bleed to death.

"Bastard! I don't need _your_ help, either!" The Hyuuga head was splitting her venomous glares between the Uchiha and her cousin, and it was unclear which of the two she hated more.

"Forgive me, Hinata-Sama. Hanabi was asleep and you were not at home. I believed that you may have been in serious trouble, so I came to assist. It is expected for Hyuugas to come to the aid of the Clan head."

"Let go of me, you Hyuuga prick, or I'll _break_ your fucking arm. This is between me and her," Sasuke hissed, and then his eyebrows rose in surprise. He saw what looked like a ghostly outline of the Hyuuga tilting his head, a second before he actually did so. Sharingan clashed with Byakugan, as the two prepared to fight.

"I will not allow you to harm Hinata-Sama," Neji repeated calmly. "You may be the top rookie of your year, but I am the top rookie of mi-" he was cut off as a kunai poked his throat.

"If we are here to discuss such matters, I graduated at the age of six," drawled Itachi. "I became an ANBU captain when I was eleven. I was dragged out of bed whilst comfortable, to search in the cold and dark for my brother. I am rather annoyed by this." His Sharingan eyes spun. "Do not provoke me further, Hyuuga-San. Release my brother, so that we may go home…" he paused as he felt a pair of fingers poke him in the chest, and he transferred his annoyed glare to Hinata, who had a hand ready to deliver a Jyuuken strike. "Is that any way to treat your future husband, Hyuuga-San?"

"Shut up. Let Neji go first."

"How bothersome." Itachi made some quick seals with his other hand, and both Neji and Hinata's eyes widened as the chakra in the ANBU grew rapidly.

"Bakuretsu!" Neji said, and, grabbing Hinata and Sasuke, jumped into the air as the Kage Bunshin of Itachi blew up. As he landed, another Itachi placed a kunai by his throat, and one appeared behind both Hinata and Sasuke.

"This tires me. Sasuke, let's go. I wish to sleep, Tou-San wishes to speak to you, and both will be achieved sooner the sooner we return to the compound." Sasuke sent his brother a pointed glare, his single-tomoe Sharingan met by his brother's fully-developed eyes. _He was still stronger._

"Hai," he muttered sullenly, not sparing a single glance at the Hyuuga pair as he followed the dark shape of his brother, and tried so very hard not to think of what Tou-San would do when he discovered he'd been meeting with _Hyuugas_.

--

"I didn't need you." In the eerie quiet of night, the words cut through the air like a sword.

"I know, Hinata-Sama." Neji was maintaining a small distance between himself and Hinata, far enough so that she didn't feel crowded, near enough so that she didn't feel he was trying to avoid her. He had perfected this years ago.

"I can look after myself."

"I know, Hinata-Sama." They both knew that Sasuke would have beaten her, and may perhaps have even been a match for Neji, a fight they would both love to see.

"I'd have killed Itachi if it wasn't a Bunshin. I'd have done it, you know. I wasn't bluffing."

"I know, Hinata-Sama." They both knew that Itachi was no joke. If Hinata had tried to strike him, she would have had both arms broken. There was something… off about the Uchiha prodigy, the same way Hokage-Sama said there had always been something off with his former pupil Orochimaru. Was it the fate of geniuses to flirt with madness?

"I don't even know why I'm going with you. I can't sleep tonight."

"I know, Hinata-Sama." That was the closest he'd get to a 'thank you' from her, but it was enough.

"Is Hanabi alright?"

"I kn-… she is fine, Hinata-Sama."

"I knew you were daydreaming, Neji. Did our… guests arrive?"

"No. Perhaps the Uchiha only meant to announce their plans tomorrow, and Sasuke let them slip early. However, due to the actions of tonight, things may change."

"Did you… approve of what I did, Neji?" That question threw him off-balance. Hinata _never_ asked for his _approval_. She had made it clear she couldn't care less of what he thought of her actions, so long as he acknowledged she was the Hyuuga head.

"They were not so terrible, Hinata-Sama," he said – the closest thing she'd get to an 'I'd have done the same thing.' Hinata smiled faintly, watching the back of her cousin's head as they acted out this pantomime again. Come tomorrow, she would have no more need of him – and the thought both pleased her, and, unexplainably, terrified her.

--

"What were you thinking!?" Fugaku slammed both palms down on his desk, and glared at Sasuke. In a corner, Itachi yawned.

"I did what I needed to, Tou-San." Sasuke refused to look into his eyes.

"You jeopardised our plans, boy. You… Is this your mother's promise again? Mikoto!" he barked the last word, and slowly, Uchiha Mikoto entered into the room, and bowed.

"Hai, Fugaku-Sama?" Already she was shaking.

"She had nothing to do with this!" Sasuke leapt to his feet, panic for a moment rising to the surface. Fugaku paused, then looked at Sasuke closely.

"You admit sole responsibility for this, son?"

"Hai, Tou-San," Sasuke replied, trying not to tremble.

"Very well. Itachi, Sasuke will be training through the night. You will supervise." Itachi glared.

"I wanted to sleep. I have a mission in the morning."

"Well, you know who to blame." Fugaku's ever-present frown was still on his face, even as he smiled.

"Fugaku-Sama, perhaps…"

"Be silent, Mikoto. You always were too soft. Itachi, Sasuke, go." He waved the two brothers off, and Sasuke avoided looking at Itachi, though he could feel his brother burning a hole in his back with his glare.

"Ototou." Sasuke froze as Itachi spoke to him, and turned to face him. Itachi only called him 'little brother' when he was _really_ angry with him. That meant nightmares, and this time Ka-San wouldn't be there to soothe them away.

"Hai, Aniki?" Sasuke tried to keep the tremor from his voice.

"Explain to me why you tried to steal my wife." Itachi's tone was dead, as always. Sasuke smiled.

"Because you don't deserve her. You don't deserve _anything_." Itachi silently considered this.

"You hate me." It wasn't a question, and Sasuke snorted.

"For a genius, you're pretty slow, Aniki." He mustered as much disgust as he could into his glare.

"You hate me, and you hate Fugaku. Why do you stay here?"

That question made him pause.

"I can't leave Ka-San here with you bastards," he decided. _I won't leave until Ka-San does, and she _still_ loves you, even though you don't deserve it._

"So it is your bonds that give you strength? It is not your feelings? If so, then why were you prepared to fight Hinata, over _words_?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing, Itachi? What _is_ this?" Another silence, then Itachi yawned again.

"I have missed out on two hours of sleep, Ototou. I do not intend to miss out on any more."

"Then you'll let me go?" Sasuke was genuinely surprised. He'd expected a gruelling 'sparring session', where Itachi kicked the shit out of him until he couldn't stand, then kept kicking him until the sun rose, lecturing him on his weaknesses.

"You are more like me than you will ever care to admit. I am also more like you than I am comfortable with. Perhaps… It will be interesting to watch your growth. Goodnight, Ototou."

Saying no more, he turned on his heel and stalked towards his room, leaving Sasuke more confused than ever.

--

Breakfast was a simple affair for the Hyuugas – cereal and milk for Hanabi, who loved sugar and would not give it up, despite the admonitions of her adored cousin. Hinata and Neji had a rather more wholesome array of fruit, from the garden that they occasionally still tended to. Hikari, like many other noble woman, had enjoyed gardening immensely, and though it was mostly herbs that she grew, there was a spot in the Hyuuga compound that had a whole host of different fruit-bearing trees.

"Aneki, are you getting your team today?" Hanabi kicked her slippered feet under the table and looked thoughtfully at Hinata. Quite frankly, the Hyuuga head looked a mess. Lack of sleep had darkened the area around her eyes, and her hair was dishevelled from training. Despite that, and the baleful glare she gave her little sister, when Hanabi was interested in something, she would _not_ be persuaded to drop it. Neji chuckled quietly, covering it up with a cough.

"Yes, I am." Hinata refrained from asking why, knowing that Hanabi would then feel obligated to launch into a speech about her current life in the Academy. Hopefully, she wouldn't do so anyway.

Hope failed Hinata then, as Hanabi smiled.

"That's good, 'cause Suzume-Sensei talked to us about teams in the Academy today. _She_ says that kunoichi should be put on teams together, but then Udon-Kun said _all_ the best teams had two men and a girl, like the Sannin, or Yondaime-Sama's team. Then Konohamaru-Kun said that he'd want _two_ girls on his team, so he could share them, and Suzume-Sensei hit him with a book!" she fell into a giggling fit at that, whilst Neji continued his coughing – not at Konohamaru's predicament, but at the fact that Hinata seemed ready to burst. He pitied the two that would be put on her team.

"Oh?" he said, as Hinata glared at him for his 'coughing'. "Last I heard, Suzume-San was only teaching kunoichi how to be good wives."

"She said that she _did_, but that a couple of girls made her change her mind, and she looked at _me_ when she said that. Did _I _do something, Neji-niisan?"

"No," Neji said, and didn't try to hide his smile this time. "I think I know the two kunoichi that convinced Suzume-San otherwise. Do _you_, Hinata-Sama?"

"I'm going to the Academy. I need to see who's in my team."

"Wait, Aneki! I need to come too! Suzume-Sensei says I'm one of the best of the class!" Hanabi chased after her sister, and Neji waited a moment, before deciding that he would want to see Hinata's team, and her reaction to it.

--

The classroom was once again almost empty when Hinata got there. The only people already here was Aburame Shino, who matched her grunted hello, before turning his attention to a spider, and began to make it move with the force of his will. Clearly, by the effort it was taking, it seemed that arachnids had a higher resistance to Aburame techniques than insects did. Hinata took her usual seat, secretly hoping that Sasuke sat next to her again. She'd love to Jyuuken him to death right about now.

One by one, the other members of the class trickled in, their Hitai-ate worn proudly and in plain sight, though not necessarily on their foreheads. Her heart clenched a little when Sasuke walked in, but he seemed to be almost in a daze, and toppled into a seat near the front, next to Naruto, who looked at him suspiciously, and moved a finger to poke him before the Uchiha caught his arm.

_Wait a moment… Why was _Naruto_ here?_ He had a Hitai-ate in place of his goggles, and it seemed to be genuine enough. He was soon engaged in loud conversation with Shikamaru, who seemed convinced it was a fake, since Naruto hadn't passed the exams. In the end, a combination of loud yelling and frantic arm-waving got the best of the Nara, who decided it was 'too troublesome' and took a nap.

"Ne, Hinata?" Hinata glanced at the voice, which belonged to Yamanaka Ino. The blonde kunoichi was kneeling on her seat, and had an almost conspiratorial smile on her face. "So… yesterday, what did you do to Sasuke-Kun? D'you have any tips for me?" Hinata blinked, wondering if the girl was serious. Or was she just so desperate for Sasuke that she'd even ask _her_ if she had any 'tips'?

"Yeah, yeah. We saw him talking to you, and Ino-Pig said she could see him whisper for you to meet him somewhere." The pink-haired Haruno joined her sometime-friend sometime-rival, genuinely curious.

"Forehead-girl can't read lips, can you _believe_ that? What a sorry excuse for a kunoichi, huh, Hinata?"

"_Sorry excuse?_ You're just mad I beat you in the written test, Ino-Pig."

"_Mad?_ Hardly. _Real_ ninja don't get judged by how much they read textbooks, forehead-girl. You're lucky they don't get judged by the size of their heads, either."

"Care to _repeat_ that, Ino-Pig?"

"Sure _thing_, Forehead-girl!" The two began squabbling amongst themselves, completely forgetting what they had been here for in the first place. Hinata groaned, and willed for Iruka to come through the door. For once, Fate seemed to be on her side.

"Sorry I'm late, class!" he said, as he entered the classroom, though he didn't have his normal half-serious face. This time, he looked more than a little sad.

"Oi, Iruka, what's wrong? Akamaru says you smell like… a bitch that just lost her pups." Kiba had the phenomenal senses of an Inuzuka. Pity that he lacked common sense.

"Thanks for that, Kiba," Iruka said sarcastically, but his face returned to its depressed state. "Mizuki was arrested and executed yesterday, for high treason. He was on my Genin team." The whole class fell silent at that. How bad must Iruka be feeling, to have someone he knew from his school days show that he didn't know them at all?

"Sorry, Iruka-Sensei," Kiba said, blood drained from his face.

"No, no, it's fine, Kiba. Let's get started on the teams. There's only nine graduates, so there'll only be three teams. Teams 1 through 6 are still in service from previous years, so we'll start with Team 7: Hyuuga Hinata," Hinata perked up at this. This would be one of the most important days of the rest of her life. "Uzumaki Naruto," Iruka continued, and Hinata drooped slightly.

"Yatta! Did you hear that, Hinata? We're going to be on the same team!"

"That's enough, Naruto. The final member of Team 7 is… Uchiha Sasuke." All three Genin froze, and Sasuke's fanclub groaned in dismay.

"What? Sasuke-Teme? Why, Iruka-Sensei?" Naruto jumped onto the teacher's desk. _Sasuke… He may be a bastard, but he is top of the class. Focus, Hinata, focus – better team-mates will make you stronger, and you _need_ to be strong. Even Naruto can become strong if we get the right teacher – he's determined enough!_

"Sorry, Naruto – Hokage-Sama asked for this specifically. Your Jounin-Sensei will be Hatake Kakashi."

An image of the lazy ANBU member flitted into Hinata's mind, specifically, one of him reading one of his little orange books and waving cheerily. _Shit._

"No way. No _fucking_ way. First you stick me with the Dobe and 'Lady Gloom' and then _him_ as a Sensei? No _fucking_ way I'm sticking with this team." Sasuke stood to leave, but froze, then sank back down into his seat as Iruka spoke.

"Are you sure? Fugaku-San recommended Kakashi-San as the perfect sensei for you. Hokage-Sama had to work hard to convince him _to_ take you on – he doesn't seem to like Uchihas much. Anyway, Team 8: Aburame Shino, Haruno Sakura and Inuzuka Kiba. Your Jounin-Sensei will be Yuuhi Kurenai…"

Hinata droned out the rest of Iruka's words. _Why? Why _them?_ Naruto was bad enough – the boy didn't have any manners, his skills were negligible, and the only reason he'd stayed on this long was by his own thick-headed determination. As if that wasn't enough, there was _Uchiha Sasuke She glared into the back of his skull, and made a mental note to see the Hokage about this particular outrage. She sighed angrily. She couldn't shake off the feeling that there was someone, somewhere, who was laughing at her.

"… Your Jounin-Sensei will be Sarutobi Asuma, and that's the last of the teams done. We'll have a lunch break now – you should probably take this time to get to know your team-mates better." Iruka smiled, then beat a hasty retreat from the classroom. Slowly, the Genin filtered out, until Team 7 were the only ones left. Naruto looked between the Uchiha and the Hyuuga, then moved from his seat, to come closer to Hinata.

"Ohayo, Hinata!" he said brightly, ignoring her silent warning. "Since we're in a team, we should get to know each other better, right? Besides… we don't need Sasuke-Teme; we can be a great team just by ourselves!"

"Yeah, right. The Dobe and the Hyuuga. Get on like a house on fire."

"Shut up, both of you." Hinata made some quick seals. "Shunshin no Jutsu." A puff of smoke later, and she was at the front of the class. "I'm going to have lunch _away_ from the both of you." Then she left, and Naruto blinked in confusion.

--

_If only Tenten was here… _She could stand Tenten being nearby – even if she was as depressingly excited as Naruto, _she_ at least at Hinata's respect as a kunoichi. Besides which, she knew when it was best not to say anything at all, a skill that Naruto lacked.

"You can come out now, Uchiha Sasuke." The Uchiha detached himself from the shadows where he had been hiding, and scowled, hands in pockets. "What do you want? I'm not going through with your plan – the fight was a draw." _If Neji hadn't come… _she shuddered. _If Neji hadn't come, she'd be _his _wife right now._

"Well, we're stuck together. You don't like me, and I don't particularly like you, but we'll be stuck as Genin for a _long_ time if we don't work together, and that's something _neither_ of us want."

"So? I already knew this, Sasuke." His eyes narrowed, and he muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

"Are you always this obstinate, Hinata? We need to work together – we need to _know_ each other. I had the 'talk' with Shino as well. 'The shinobi involved should know each other well for maximum effectiveness, as there will be few opportunities for safe communication. They should be able to read their comrades' movements and expressions and realise how best to support them from that.'" He put on a disturbing likeness of the Aburame's deep voice and snorted. "What we _don't_ need is Uzumaki bothering us. I've got to surpass Itachi, you've got to surpass Hizashi, and we _don't_ need some orange-wearing idiot keeping us back."

"Perhaps…" Naruto _might_ become strong, if Kakashi deigned to teach him, but Sasuke _would_ be strong, no matter what. Though it hurt her to admit it, he was with Neji in the 'Genin that were definitely stronger than her' category. "… Perhaps that _would_ be for the best." After all, she may feel _sorry_ for Naruto not having parents, but Hizashi came first – _always_ came first – and she needed to focus on him, and the quickest route to becoming strong enough to defeat him.

"Good," Sasuke sighed. "I knew you'd be smart enough to see, Hinata. Uzumaki's got no future."

Hinata felt a slight Chakra flare, and stiffened, activating her Byakugan. Just out of eyesight – around a corner, there was a ninja racing away, and even in monochrome she could tell exactly who that outfit belonged to.

"Naruto…" she whispered, and could not explain away the feeling inside her that she'd fucked up, _big time_.

--

The classroom was silent, and only four people remained in it. The new Ino-Shika-Cho trio had just left with Sarutobi Asuma, and now only Team 7 and Iruka were left. Nobody felt like speaking. Iruka was obviously still thinking of Mizuki, whilst none of the members of Team 7 had anything _to_ say to one another.

How exactly could you tell your team-mate that you hadn't _meant_ to call him weak, and agree to exclude him, but you just hadn't thought he would be able to help you in the future? Hinata could barely look at Naruto now, still seeing that terrible, almost heartbroken expression as he heard her agree with Sasuke to basically cut him out of their lives.

_Get a grip. He is weak, and you are strong. This is for the best._

Iruka sighed, then looked at his clipboard.

"Sorry guys, but your sensei is notorious for being late. He could take up to another hour getting here."

_Of course. He'd only shown up as the designated sensei of her and Tenten _three_ lessons after he was assigned to them._

Iruka didn't reply to the stony silence of the three Genin, though he frowned a bit at the fact that the normally talkative Naruto was just as quiet as the other two. The clock ticked by, second by second, minute by minute, and after ten minutes, Iruka gave up.

"Sorry guys, but I've got to go. I wish you the best of luck with your Jounin-Sensei." He gave a weak smile, then left. Nobody reacted.

Time kept crawling by, agonisingly slowly. Naruto had begun to pace, whilst Sasuke was throwing kunai at the fold-out poster that Iruka had used to show a human's vital areas. He had hit the heart three times, the head twice, and none of his throws had not landed anywhere that would _not_ cause massive internal damage.

Hinata almost jumped when the door finally creaked open.

"My, my… sorry I'm late… I broke a mirror, and had to see a priest to remove the bad luck…" Kakashi said, and did his eye-smile, before opening his eye to see three glares. He sighed. _An Uchiha and a Hyuuga, great. Two stuck-up, noble-born brats. Throw in a Jinchuuriki, and you had the most controversial team since they stuck an eight-year old Itachi with Morino Ibiki and a very, very hesitant Kakashi._

"Well… I'll talk with you on the roof – may be you just need some fresh air… Oh, and lose that attitude along the way, okay?" he smiled again, then used Shunshin to disappear. He'd have a headache with these brats – he was really looking forward to failing them, consequences be damned.

--

When the three Genin trudged up the stairs to the roof of the Academy, Kakashi was already balancing, one-legged, on a pole, whilst reading his Icha, Icha book.

"Okay then – let's start this off with some introductions. I want your name, likes, dislikes and dreams. Uchiha, you first."

Sasuke scowled.

"You go first. You're the sensei," he said, and Kakashi sighed, without looking up from his book.

"I'm Hatake Kakashi. I like… some things… and dislike… other things. You don't need to hear my dream… Right! Now you go!" He really seemed to believe that his response deserved something _other_ than annoyed glares.

"Fine then. I'm Uchiha Sasuke. My likes are training, and my dislikes are those that do not take being a shinobi seriously." _Or hurt those precious to me, _he thought, but he wasn't going to admit that to the others. "My dream is to surpass my brother, and become the head of the Uchiha clan."

"Uh-huh…" Kakashi said, leading the Genin to question whether he'd actually listened to what Sasuke had said. "Blondie, you go next."

"Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto said, in a more subdued tone than normal. "I like Ramen, training, and… the few people in this village that I can count as friends. I dislike those that hurt my friends and…" he curled his lip. "Stuck-up team-mates," making a point _not_ to look at either Sasuke or Hinata. "and my dream is to become Hokage."

"Hmm? Hyuuga, you go last."

"Hyuuga Hinata. I don't have many likes, or dislikes, but my dream is to kill my uncle, for what he did to my family."

"Yeah, same as last time… Well, now that that's out of the way, come to training area 42. I have a challenge for you, to see whether or not you deserve to be Genin." He used Shunshin again, and the three Genin immediately stood, not talking to one another, as they made their way towards training area 42. It wasn't hard to find – the Forest of Death loomed quite close to it, but it was considered a Chuunin-Level training area, at least. _What are you planning, Kakashi-Sensei?_ Hinata thought.

--

It became clear when they reached the training area.

"This… is an obstacle course. Not your everyday one – there are obstacles here that will challenge you mentally, as well as physically." Kakashi smiled, and indicated the massive structure. "If one person in your team cannot complete the course, everyone fails! Keep alert, and work together, or you may just die! Now… go!" He brought his arm down, and the three Genin scampered into the giant building, before freezing at the complexity of it.

"Heh. Sooner this is done, sooner I can go home," Naruto said, and began to run forward. Hinata flinched for a moment, then dashed after him, and tackled him to the ground.

"Hey! What're you doing, Hyuuga-Teme?!"

"Baka! You were about to run into a trip-wire!" She stood up, face contorted by Byakugan-veins. "Step where I step," she hissed, and began to tread a path through the assortment of trip-wires. Some seemed to be connected to trap-doors, whilst others would simply cause a great weight to drop on them. She quickly glanced behind her, without turning her head, and saw Naruto looking a bit sheepish, whilst Sasuke had the same smug expression he usually carried. When they were clear, Hinata sighed, then glared at Naruto. "Let _me_ go first," she said. There were trip-wires _everywhere_, in such patterns that she had to contort her body in order to avoid them – a feat that she noted Sasuke and especially Naruto had problems replicating. However, she made the mistake most did in such a situation they believed they had under control. She underestimated the course, and as she stepped over another wire, she put her foot on a patch of ground that shifted under her weight. Before she could say "shit," a trap-door opened underneath her, and she would have fallen if Sasuke had not caught her wrists. However, _he_ would have fallen, if it wasn't for Naruto grabbing hold of his ankles.

So they lay there, one person on the edge of the pit, two hanging precariously _within_ it, and Naruto was, slowly, slipping further over the edge.

"Dammit!" he said, as he tried, unsuccessfully, to pull them up again.

"_Great_ job, Hinata! You're as useless as Uzumaki!" Sasuke snarled.

"Shut up, Teme!"

"Or what, Dobe? You going to let us go, and fail the exam?"

"No… I'll just beat you to a pulp once I bring you up here!" Naruto said, then heaved again. Amazingly, _inexplicably_, this time he had the necessary force behind it, and lifted the _both_ of them up, slowly, painfully, inch-by-inch over the edge of the pit. Once he had, he collapsed, gasping in lungfulls of air.

"How… How did you _do_ that?"

"Heh. That's… my strength, Hyuuga-Teme." Somehow, the name stung, though Hinata _knew_ she didn't care if Naruto hated her. "When those… people precious to me are in danger, I get enough strength to do _anything_. And right here, right now… _You two_ are precious, 'cause I need to pass this test, and become Hokage." Hinata tried not to look surprised. That couldn't be. He _must_ be lying. Otherwise, the Hyuugas would have beaten Hizashi… But still… There was no way he could have pulled them up by himself…

"Bullshit," Sasuke said, but didn't elaborate. He was busy studying the next trap. This time, the trip-wires were visible, even to those without the enhanced sight of the Byakugan. Even so, Hinata activated her Byakugan, and her heart sunk. There was no way… no way _any_ of them could get through that without setting off at least one trap.

"This is… impossible," she conceded.

"Yeah… I know…" All three Genin turned, and saw Kakashi standing _on the ceiling_.

"Where did you come from!?" Naruto shouted.

"Hmm? I did the exercise backwards… Upside down as well… It was too easy. Anyway, I hoped I'd find you here… See, this is the _mental_ part of the test I told you about. You're not going to get through there without setting off a trap, so the question is… Who do you sacrifice so that the other two can get through?"

"Naruto. You're the Dobe, you're the weak link. We don't _need_ you." Naruto opened his mouth to argue, then looked at Hinata. _Why me? What do you want from me?_ He twitched, then turned to go.

"Fine… I'll do it. Just tell me where you want the opening."

"Wait." Both Naruto and Sasuke turned around, shocked, when Hinata spoke up. "Sasuke, you don't care about this team. Naruto _cares_ about us, that's why he risked his life to save us…" part of her screamed _Hizashi_, but she ignored it. "I care about this team, too, but you don't. You'd have us throw away someone based on their strength, but it's the strength of the _team_ that will be tested, not the individual. You sacrifice yourself, so that _our team_ can survive."

"Fuck. No." Sasuke said, eyes narrowed. "You're not as high-and-mighty as you want us to think, Hyuuga. I know the only thing _you_ want is Hizashi – you'd sacrifice any of us just so long as it isn't _you_."

"Oh, really?" Neither of the two Genin noticed Naruto, so intent upon their argument as they were. The blonde Genin was storming towards Kakashi, or, well… under him.

"This is bullshit!" he roared at the Jounin. "We're a _team_, just like Hinata said! Teams don't give _up_ their members! That's not what Ninja _do_!"

"That… is completely correct, Naruto. You pass!" Kakashi smiled, and dropped from the ceiling, landing next to a stunned Naruto and patting him on the head. "You two…" he indicated Sasuke and Hinata, "should follow Naruto a bit more. He could be the strongest one here. Now… how about dinner? Naruto's choice, and I'll pay for it." Naruto's eyes widened and he grinned as much as possible, whilst Sasuke glowered.

--

There was only one place on Earth Naruto would contemplate buying dinner, and so Team 7 found itself outside Ichiraku's, whilst Naruto ordered ten bowls of every-flavour-ramen, whilst Kakashi began to regret offering to pay for it. Hinata and Sasuke stuck to a more modest bowl or two each, and all three Genin, along with Ayame, smiled when Kakashi confessed he didn't have enough money, so was ordered to the back to wash dishes by Ichiraku Teuchi. The sight of the Jounin having to put on an apron and do chores had Naruto laughing uncontrollably. Sasuke, already pissed off from the results of training, snapped.

"Oi, Dobe. Fight me."

"Huh? Why, Sasuke?" Naruto was in such a good mood, he even dropped the –Teme he usually placed after Sasuke's name.

"Kakashi said you were the strongest on the team. I want to prove it otherwise."

"Perhaps…" Hinata knew what the result would be if Naruto fought Sasuke. Determination only took you _so_ far.

"Be quiet, Hinata. I already beat you." Neither of them expected the dark look that Naruto's face took on.

"You… _beat_ Hinata? Let's go, Teme. I'll stomp you into the ground." The two went at it, then and there, in front of the Ramen stand, brawling in the street like common thugs, not shinobi at all. Though Naruto had the early advantage, catching Sasuke by surprise and nailing him hard in the face with a right-hook, Sasuke was clearly on top now. He was _too quick!_ He dodged Naruto's clumsy blows, then snapped a kick into his chest, before catching him by the collar and pulling him into a hard knee-strike to the same part of his chest. Naruto coughed blood, and Sasuke dropped him.

"You're pathetic, Dobe. Even Hyuuga put up more of a fight than this."

"Shut up!" Naruto leapt to his feet, throwing a flurry of punches and kicks. Sasuke knocked them aside, and threw Naruto into a wall, but Naruto sprung off, and used the momentum to knock the Uchiha to the floor, where he straddled him and threw punches at his face. Sasuke caught both fists, and got his feet under Naruto's stomach, before rolling back and catapulting Naruto into the side of a house. This time, Naruto hit it head-first, and slumped to the floor. Sasuke stood, smiling, though he had clearly been winded by Naruto's surprise attack. Naruto slowly stood again, swaying slightly, then he snarled.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he called, and made the Ram seal. Five copies of him appeared, and rushed Sasuke, who dodged the first few blows, but was then punched in the shoulder. Smiling, he grabbed what he thought to be the real Naruto and punched him in the face, only for his target to disappear.

_What?! Bunshins with solid forms!?"_ Hinata used Byakugan, and saw that, unlike Sasuke's Bunshins, these Kage Bunshins all had equal chakra reserves, and she gasped when she saw _just_ how extensive they were… far beyond her own, or Sasuke's. A single Kage Bunshin had almost as much Chakra as _she_ did, and that was just a fraction of Naruto's as a whole.

Sasuke got serious now, activating his Sharingan, and defeating the rest of the Bunshins with ease. Naruto grimaced, put his hands together. Sasuke did the same.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" both boys said, and Naruto created another five, whilst Sasuke made two. However, the chakra in Sasuke's was much lower. Hinata gasped aloud. _Naruto could win this!_ _Naruto may be able to succeed where she failed!_ Part of her was almost excited, whilst part of her sulked – there may be another addition to the 'Genin stronger than her' list.

Both of the boys charged each other, with two Narutos for every Sasuke, and within moments, their combat was concealed by the smoke from defeated Kage Bunshins.

"They're pretty good… Aren't they, Hinata?" She glanced to her left, seeing Kakashi leaning on the counter, watching with his Sharingan eye. "Sasuke is more skilled, but Naruto's chakra reserves… They're phenomenal for a boy his age… Oh, it's over…"

Hinata snapped back, and drooped as Sasuke stood tall over Naruto, smiling.

"Who's the strongest now, Sensei?" he said, but stopped, and looked down, annoyed, as Naruto grabbed a hold of his leg.

"Not done yet… Teme," he gurgled.

"What? Why are you too stupid to know when you're beat?" Sasuke kicked Naruto off.

"It's… my way of the ninja… Teme… I'll _never_ give up!" he staggered to his feet again. _Through the pain, through _everything_, he _still_ keeps on going. What _is_ he?_

"Then I'll just have to _make_ you," Sasuke sneered, and delivered another kick, to the side of Naruto's head, dropping him like a log.

"Sasuke…"

"What, Hinata?" Sasuke said, turning around, annoyed that he was being interrupted in his moment of triumph.

"You're in range for my attack. _Hakke Rokujuuyon Shou_!" Sasuke had just enough time for his eyes to widen, before the first strikes caught him in the arms and legs, rendering him unable to dodge. Again and again, Hinata struck, until his tenketsu were all sealed.

"Fucking… Hyuuga… Bitch…" he gasped.

"We're a team, Sasuke. You hurt Naruto, I'll hurt you. I know he'd do the same if you hurt me," she said, gesturing to the unconscious Uzumaki. "Same thing – if someone hurts you, we'll beat their sorry ass into the ground. We don't have to _like_ each other, but we _will_ look out for one another. Agreed?" A moment of silence, and then Sasuke _laughed_ despite the pain.

"Fine," he said. "You two took me by surprise, anyway. Just so you know."

"Ah, so you admit defeat?" Hinata almost smiled, _almost_. Not quite, though – they were comrades, Naruto and Sasuke, but not friends – not yet.

In Ichiraku's ramen stand, Kakashi sighed. These three were definitely going to give him a headache… and he was stuck with them now.

"Oi, you! Back to work!" He sighed again, and went back to washing dishes.

**A/N:**

**So, there's another chapter done. The first half was almost entirely unplanned. - I really didn't mean to give Sasuke that much screentime, but... well, it _fit. _Same with the four-way staredown, which was originally just Neji coming to escort Hinata home.**

**As always, reviews are encouraged. Next chapter should be out hopefully next week-end, but I suck at deadlines. It'll probably be Neji-centric, since he's taken a rather supporting character role at the moment.**

**Edit: Knew there was something I forgot! The obstacle course idea was taken from the Naruto AntiWriter's Block Party Forum: Check it out - it will help you greatly.**


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Neji/Naruto/Hanabi:

Team Gai sparred often, at Gai-Sensei's unofficial Dojo. It was really known as Training Area 12, but Gai had all but commandeered it for the personal use of his team, and nobody was willing to protest – after all, there were many other indoor training areas, far away from Maito Gai and his monologues on youth.

At the moment, Tenten was sparring with Lee, whilst Neji and Gai looked on. Tenten was not a Taijutsu specialist like the rest of her team, but she was not helpless in close combat – her balance could rival a Hyuuga's, and she was skilled with the Bo Staff she used so often, endlessly whirring it, before bringing it around for a blow that could split stone. As long as she kept Lee at bay, she may even be able to defeat him, as long as he kept his weights on. However, Lee was truly a Taijutsu specialist, having severely underdeveloped Chakra Coils, he could not perform Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, so instead focused on his only strength. When he was truly fighting with his all, he could match Neji blow for blow, and if Neji had not possessed the Byakugan, he would most likely be outclassed by the "Genius of Hard Work".

"Yosh! Both of your team-mates are _burning_ with the flames of youth, eh, Neji?" Gai grinned, and Neji nodded. Maito Gai was known as the premiere Taijutsu master of Konoha, and was one of the few capable of putting Hatake Kakashi to serious trouble, and on occasion, defeat him. It was known to all that in their current string of challenges, Gai was leading by a single victory, but only a few knew that that single point of Gai's lead was from their last serious sparring match, before Gai became a Jounin-Sensei – a sparring match that saw both men forced into Konoha General Hospital, Kakashi with far worse injuries than Gai.

Tenten jumped over a sweeping kick from Lee, and with a free hand threw several shuriken at Lee. However, though Tenten's aim was impeccable, Lee was simply too quick for the projectiles, and jumped after her, realising too late that it was simply a distraction, and that there were strings attached to the shuriken. Tenten smiled, and gave a pull, wrapping Lee's leg in the string and pulling him off balance, before cracking down with the staff, catching Lee directly on the crown of his head. Lee dropped like a stone, and Tenten gave Neji a sly, almost-grin. Neji smiled in reply, then raised an eyebrow as Tenten blushed. He had known the weapons-mistress for nearly a year, and had never _once_ seen her blush. Possible meanings filled his thoughts, and then he heard a cry of alarm, and looked up to see Lee, having caught Tenten's staff in both hands.

"Aha! Got you, Tenten!" he said, then pulled on the staff as he kicked with a foot, connecting with Tenten's stomach and sending the kunoichi skidding across the tiles.

"Winner, Rock Lee!" Gai said, holding up a little flag with a miniature Lee on it, and Lee gave a thumbs-up to Tenten.

"Do not worry, Tenten! You almost had me with that shuriken trick! Next time, you may win!"

Tenten groaned, but nodded, before transferring her look to Neji, who still watched her with part-curiosity and part-fear. He was no stranger to crushes; in the Academy he had been the unwilling target of many of the kunoichi of his class, who saw him as their ideal husband, despite his many statements to the contrary. Tenten, however, had never shown any signs of having a crush on him – that was why he'd been so relieved when she was put into his team – she was a hardworking kunoichi, who took her profession seriously. For _her_ to have a crush on him… It baffled Neji, and terrified him at the same time. Tenten was a friend, a _good_ friend, almost like a sister, or a cousin – like Hinata had been until _that_ night.

"Oh? Neji? Are you alright?"

He'd never… never thought of her _that_ way.

"Neji?"

_Could_ he think of her _that_ way?

"Neji!" he sat up, as Gai all but roared in his ear. "Neji, it's your turn against Lee!" Neji nodded, and rose, unable to keep his gaze drifting to Tenten, before violently jerking away. It didn't matter anyway; Hinata was the Clan Head. If she didn't want him to marry Tenten – whether it be out of spite, or if she felt he would be better placed elsewhere – then he would not marry her, feelings be damned. That was the Hyuuga way – Hizashi had not loved his wife, but had married as Hiashi wished him to, and had done so with a smile.

He exhaled the breath he hadn't realised he was holding, and slowly settled into the Jyuuken stance. His fate may be uncontrollable; drifting through the river of life; but when he used Jyuuken, it was as if the river's rapids slowed to the stillness of a pool. Time slowed, and he could feel at least a _bit_ of control. Whilst Hinata saw the Jyuuken as a combat technique, Neji knew it for its truth – an aid in all facets of life. _Step one._ His heartbeat slowed, though the sound of it seemed to grow louder._ Step two._ His cycle of breathing in and out slowed, until he began to take half a minute to complete a single cycle. He truly felt like the Heron the Hyuugas of old often compared themselves to – standing motionless in a calm pool, ready to strike… He opened his eyes…

"Hyuuga-San! Hyuuga-San, your presence is required at the Academy!" Neji's concentration shattered, and he swore silently as his body protested at the sudden return to a normal rate of living. He glared at the black-clad Tokubetsu Jounin who had interrupted him, and Ebisu gave a nervous laugh before pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"Ahem, Hyuuga-San. Your sister has been involved in a rather serious incident, and your presence is required at the Academy, as soon as possible." Neji immediately straightened, ignoring the screaming sound in his ears as they adjusted to the sudden burst of noise – the Jyuuken stance was all but silent.

"Gai-Sensei, Lee, Tenten, I apologise, but I must leave the training session." Gai gave him a nod, face serious, and Neji raced after Ebisu. _Hanabi… what have you done?_

"Hmm… Lee vs. Neji – winner by forfeit, Lee! Tenten, it is your turn again!"

--

Even though Hinata was the Clan Head of the Hyuuga clan, she had no time for the formalities of her position, caring only for the authority it gave her. Looking for a suitable person to dump the responsibilities of a Clan Head on, she had chosen Neji, and of course, Neji acquiesced. So, whether it be for council meetings, or petty disputes at the Academy, it was Neji that was called, so that Hinata could focus on training.

"Ebisu-San, what happened?"

"It is Konohamaru-Kun… Iruka will explain." Neji sighed inwardly. Sarutobi Konohamaru was the grandson of the Sandaime Hokage – a man that the Hyuugas did not want against them. He hoped that _whatever_ it was Hanabi had done, it was not enough to earn the old man's ire.

Whilst Ebisu was the most senior of the staff at the Academy, it was Iruka who had assumed the position of Head Instructor, as he was the most popular amongst children and parents alike. So, when they arrived at the Academy, Ebisu left to check on a sullen Konohamaru, with his two constant friends, Udon and Moegi, by his side, and Neji proceeded directly to Iruka's office. A quick tap on the door, and he heard the familiar voice telling him to come in.

Iruka nodded solemnly as Neji entered the room, and the other occupant of the room stopped kicking her feet and turned her sulky face to Neji, before brightening up immediately.

"Niisan!" Hanabi called, and waved, seemingly oblivious.

"Hanabi," Neji replied evenly, before looking at Iruka. "What happened, Iruka-Sensei?"

"No need for that anymore, Neji – I'm not your teacher…" Iruka cleared his throat, then continued. "Hanabi, I am afraid, became involved in a serious incident today, during Suzume-San's lesson on the history of Konoha. One child asked about our missing-nin, and whilst listing the S-Classed ones, Konohamaru said that he'd beat Hyuuga Hizashi with an arm tied behind his back." Both of them rolled their eyes. The Hokage's grandson was known to make idle boasts every other day, to try and increase his reputation, and step out of his grandfather's considerable shadow.

"He shouldn't have said that," Hanabi spoke up. "Konohamaru-_Baka_ insulted the Hyuuga. Aneki would've killed him, niisan, Iruka-Sensei! He called our father _weak!_"

"That as may be, Hanabi, do you know what the normal procedure is for shinobi attacking civilians?" Neji, about to say that neither Hanabi nor Konohamaru were shinobi yet, saw the wink that Iruka sent him, and understood immediately.

"It is true, Hanabi. I feel that I must tell Hinata-Sama about this." He was definitely not expecting the younger Hyuuga's reaction.

"No! Please, niisan! Don't tell Aneki! I don't want her to be mad at me!" Hanabi looked at him with those large eyes of hers, almost brimming with tears. "I'll never do it again, niisan, I swear! I'll go apologise to Konohamaru, and sit in detention for a _whole_ month, and… don't tell her, _please_!" Neji looked at Iruka, and saw the beginnings of alarm on the Chuunin's face. But Hinata had not so much as _touched_ Hanabi, Neji knew. She had, as with so many others, kept her firmly at arm's length, and treated her with disdain. What could make Hanabi so scared of her? He knew that if he did as he mock-threatened, and told Hinata-Sama, she would just shrug, and say it wasn't her problem.

"Hanabi… I won't tell, if you behave, okay?"

"Yes, niisan…" Hanabi drooped back, visibly relieved. "I won't _ever_ beat up Konohamaru _again_, even if he _begs_ me to."

"Then… I suppose you can go, Hanabi. I am sure nobody will insult the Hyuuga in this school again." Iruka said, though he kept his eyes on Neji.

"Thank you, Iruka-Sensei, bye, niisan!" Hanabi was smiling now, her tears a long-distant memory, and she slipped out of the room. Neji knew what was going to happen next.

"Is… everything alright for you at home, Neji?"

"Yes, Iruka-Se… Iruka. I don't know what made Hanabi react so badly…"

"But everything's alright?" Neji could see the implications in that sentence, the tone it was uttered in, and the expression on Iruka's face. _"If anything's happening, you can tell me,"_ he was silently saying.

"Yes, Iruka. There are no problems with the Hyuugas." _Apart from the Uchiha betrothal, and Hinata's new team, and Hanabi's… emotions, and Hizashi's shadow, and my… my weaknesses._ "Nothing at all."

"Okay, then. Well, I'm sorry to have interrupted your training – I know the Chuunin Exams are coming up soon; you'll need all the help you can get if they're as hard as they were when I took them." Neji just nodded, and smiled, before turning on his heel, and leaving. _What is wrong, Hanabi? How do I fix it?_

Hanabi was waiting for him outside the office, and matched his pace as he walked out of the Academy. His questioning glance was answered, though Hanabi seemed puzzled with the answer as well.

"Suzume-Sensei says I should go home now, to calm down, and come back to class tomorrow." Hanabi's forehead scrunched up in thought. "I told her I was calmed down, but she didn't want me to stay, and the other students kept moving away from me. Am I frightening, niisan?"

"Hanabi, I think you did frighten them, when you attacked Konohamaru."

"He deserved it, though, niisan! He shouldn't have insulted Tou-San like that." Hanabi's tone voice on an almost pleading tone. She _needed_ her cousin to agree with her.

"No, he shouldn't have, but I don't think he _meant_ to."

"He _did_, niisan! I saw him, and he was _smiling!_ Do you think Aneki'll be back home?" Just like that, she changed conversation and mood, in the blink of an eye.

"Hinata-Sama has duties outside of the Hyuuga now, Hanabi. She has a responsibility to her team, so she will be with them a lot of the time."

"Oh." Hanabi's voice was suddenly small. They walked in silence for a bit, before she continued, "I don't like that. Niisan and Aneki will be with their teams, and I'll be all alone."

"Don't you have friends in the Academy? They should be able to keep you company." Hanabi shook her head.

"Aneki said ninja don't _need_ friends, and I want to be _just like_ Aneki, when I grow up." Neji frowned again, but forced himself to stay silent with his thoughts on the matter. After all, he had made friends at first _only_ to cover his own weaknesses. He only realised their true purpose later.

"Besides, I don't _need_ friends. I've got niisan, and I've got Aneki, and _you're_ my _best_ friends!"

Neji blinked. Didn't Hanabi remember that Hinata had, for the past seven years, treated her _at best_ as an annoyance, and at worst, as something that had no right to even _exist?_ Had she forgotten that out of seven birthdays, Hinata had only gotten her a single gift? The answer came to him suddenly – Hanabi did not have a mother, had never _known_ a mother, and so must love Hinata doubly, as a sister, _and_ as a mother-by-default. Such a love would transcend all reason, becoming almost like an… obsession of love. An obsession to match her elder sister's obsession of hatred toward Hizashi. Neji smiled at the irony, before Hanabi tugged on his sleeve.

"Niisan? Why can't you and Hinata stay at home with me anymore?"

"Ninja have a duty to their village, Hanabi. That duty must come before all else." Hanabi looked thoughtful for a moment, and chewed her lower lip as she always did when thinking.

"But niisan… People's duties… shouldn't they be to their families first of all?" And Neji had no answer to that – after all, if it were true, it meant he had two duties: To his cousins in Konoha, who needed his guidance, even if they may reject it; and to the father that abandoned him, the father that, despite everything, he could not _stop_ loving.

He felt the current of Life's River drag on him again, and remained silent.

--

_Oh… My head feels like someone used it as a hammer…_ Naruto groaned aloud, then opened one eye a crack. He was in his apartment… he recognised the peeling wallpaper, and the spot where someone had scrawled _Demon_.

"Yo," Naruto jerked up at the sound, and saw Kakashi, sitting on his table, reading his little orange book. The Copy-Nin looked around, managing to make even the movements of his eye seem lazy, before he spoke again.

"You know… people often say that you can tell a person by the state of their home…" He waved a hand, at the full and dirty sink, with days worth of caked-on dirt; the disordered cupboards, stuffed almost to bursting with various flavours of Ramen; the carpet of orange clothing that littered the floor. "If I were a man to judge… I'd be calling you a pig, right now, Naruto…"

"Oi!" Naruto fairly jumped out of bed, then staggered as his head pulsed. "Who are _you,_ to come into _my_ apartment, and call me a pig! I should… I should go and… How did I get here? I was fighting Sasuke, last I remember…"

"Hmm? Oh, Sasuke knocked you out… You put up a good fight, though, especially for a Dobe… Then, after Hinata took down Sasuke…"

"What!? _Hyuuga-Te… Hinata_ took down _Sasuke!?_"

"Yeah, sort-of…" Kakashi made a sort of wiggling motion with his free hand.

"What do you mean, _sort-of!?_"

"Well, she got him from behind… whilst he was gloating over you… She said something about teams, and how you'd look out for her… something like that… Anyway, neither of them knew where you lived, so I asked the Ramen girl for directions, and brought you back to your sty…"

"Oh… well thank… _Sty!?_ This isn't a sty, damn it! And… and… _Hinata_ said we were a _team!?_" He couldn't believe that the Hyuuga, who had taken up Sasuke-Teme on his offer of excluding Naruto, had suddenly switched sides, fighting Sasuke _for him!_

"Yeah… Well, she did more than just _say_ it…" He took a piece of paper that he had been using as a bookmark, and handed it to Naruto, who quickly unfolded it.

_"Uzumaki Naruto, if you are reading this, then you will already know of the events that transpired at Ichiraku's Ramen stand after you were knocked out. Team 7 has decided that we will, even if we choose not to like one another as friends, support each other as comrades against our enemies, and expect the same support from you. On missions, we will look out for one another, and not prevent ourselves from acting simply to allow one of us wander into a trap, no matter how much we choose to dislike one another. We are ninja, and more importantly, a team, and will behave as such. If you agree, then add your signature to this scroll, and give it back to Kakashi-Sensei."_ It was signed at the bottom, with what he guessed were Hinata and Sasuke's signatures, and there was a space underneath them for his own.

"Is this serious, Kakashi-Sensei?"

"Hmm? Yeah, it is… It's a noble thing, being so formal… Makes them feel all important…"

Naruto grinned as he said that, and took a pen from the pocket of his favourite orange jumpsuit, before pausing.

"Kakashi-Sensei, I don't have a signature…"

"Then make one up, Naruto… Make it something you think looks cool." Naruto thought for a moment, then smiled again, put the paper on his table and scrawled across the bottom, before handing it back to Kakashi, who studied it for a few seconds.

"… Naruto, were the Ramen bowls really necessary?"

"Yep!"

"And the spirals?"

"Yep!"

"Did you have to write it in _orange?_"

"Orange rocks, Kakashi-Sensei! Besides, you said 'make it something that looks cool'. Ramen and spirals and orange _are_ cool, Kakashi-Sensei!"

"…Whatever you say, Naruto," he sighed, and folded the paper again, before placing it as a bookmark, and closing his book. He looked up to see Naruto still grinning.

"Hmm? It couldn't have been _that_ cool, Naruto, even by your standards."

"Nah, Kakashi-Sensei, it's 'cause now we're _really_ a team! Even Sasuke-Teme admits it!"

"Yeah, I suppose…Rest up, Naruto, because tomorrow we'll be starting missions. Oh, and meet up at the Memorial Stone, at around 6 in the morning."

Kakashi gave him a quick wave goodbye, then hopped out of his window.

Naruto smiled, even as he rested his head back on his pillow. _They were a team!_ _Him, and Hinata, and Sasuke-Teme, they were a team! They were friends, and comrades, and allies!_And with two strong team-mates like them, he'd be sure to get strong enough to become Hokage – they'd better believe it!

--

The Hyuuga Compound was, predictably, silent, and Hanabi had to tug on Neji's sleeve when he stopped. Silly niisan, staying out in the cold, when it was warm inside, besides, Aneki might be there, and Hanabi wanted to see Aneki, and congratulate her on being put onto a Genin team, and ask her what it was like, and what her team-mates were like. She walked to her sister's room, and poked her head around the door, but groaned in disappointment. Aneki _was_ here, but she was _asleep_! Silly Aneki, she must have not had enough energy for the entire day and gotten tired from training – that's why Hanabi ate her cereal, so she could keep bright all the way to bedtime!

"Niisan, are you hungry?" Neji just looked tired, as he sat on a sofa, but there was always the chance that he would be, and Hanabi didn't want to have dinner by herself. Luckily, Neji smiled as Hanabi approached.

"Of course, Hanabi. Would you like dinner?"

"Yes please, niisan!" Neji shuffled off to make dinner, and Hanabi waddled to her room, where she took her _favourite_ toy, a stuffed bear that Aneki said their mother had gotten even before Hanabi was born, just for her! But Ka-San wasn't here anymore… Aneki said she was sleeping, but she must be asleep _all the time_. She'd named the bear Cuddles, because Aneki said that that's what she liked most about Ka-San, when she wasn't sleeping. Cuddles was a lovely toy, soft and warm, perfect for cuddling, and when they were inside, Hanabi took him everywhere, though Aneki forbade her from taking the toy outside, the third time she'd ever yelled at her…

Hanabi paused outside her sister's room. Aneki never seemed happy anymore, though Hanabi couldn't quite remember a time when Aneki _had_ been happy. It wasn't fair, she decided, after chewing on her lip. Aneki did _so_ much for her, she was like another Ka-San, but she never got anything in return. Walking slowly to her sister's side, so she didn't wake her, Hanabi hesitantly put the bear next to her.

"You can borrow him," she whispered, ever-so-quietly. She knew that Aneki was a light sleeper, and the first and second times she'd been yelled at for disturbing her, but Hanabi knew that Aneki needed a hug, 'cause she hadn't had one since Hanabi had been born, that's what she'd said the fourth time she yelled at her, the time when she and niisan had a _massive_ argument, and had only stopped when Hanabi cried and screamed louder than both of them put together.

She looked at Aneki, and slowly, hesitantly, took her arm, and put it over Cuddles, before twisting Cuddles' position so that it looked like he was holding Aneki, like Hanabi had seen other people when they were cuddling. Aneki had never cuddled her, and niisan only a few times, so Hanabi wasn't too sure what it was like, but Aneki had said it felt good, so it _must_ feel good.

Satisfied with her handiwork, Hanabi stood, nodded, then crept out of Aneki's room, to go and have dinner with niisan. He'd cooked fish, with rice. Hanabi cracked open her chopsticks, then, as loudly as she could, she yelled. "Itadakimasu!" niisan had told her it was good manners to say that before a meal, that it meant you'd enjoy it, so Hanabi said it as loudly as possible before meals that she knew she'd enjoy, to show that she'd _really_ enjoy it.

Niisan winced though, and Hanabi put her hands to her mouth, expecting Aneki to come through the door at any moment and tell her off for waking her up. Aneki never yelled at first, she was always quiet, and it was _just_ as scary… but Aneki didn't burst through the door, and after a while, Hanabi stopped shaking. She didn't _want_ to make Aneki upset, after all – she knew Aneki needed to sleep, and even though it was rude not to say 'Itadakimasu', it was ruder to wake someone up from sleeping, that's what niisan said. When niisan relaxed, she knew that Aneki _hadn't_ woken up. Niisan said Itadakimasu, more quietly, and he and Hanabi began to eat.

"Aneki must have done a_ lot_ of training, if she's so tired," Hanabi said, munching on a cucumber slice. Niisan looked like he wanted to say something, but instead smiled, and agreed with her. Niisan did that sometimes, he was funny like that.

When they had finished, Hanabi took a deep breath to yell out 'Arigatou, niisan!' like she normally did when he cooked dinner, but he looked serious, and put a finger to his lips, and she remembered Aneki, so instead said in a whisper, "Arigatou, niisan." He smiled, and said she was welcome, and then took her bowl to wash.

As Hanabi walked out of the kitchen, she passed by her sister's room again, and hesitantly, opened the screen-door. After all, Cuddles was in there, and even though she'd let Aneki _borrow_ him, he was still _her_ toy. However, much to her dismay, Hanabi saw that Aneki had wrapped her arms tightly around the toy bear, and knew even without trying that if she were to try to pull the bear from Aneki's grasp, it would definitely wake her up. Hanabi pouted, and chewed her outstretched bottom lip.

"We can share him," she decided, but still whispered it. She could have sworn she saw Aneki smile, but it was gone when she blinked, so it _must_ have been a trick of the light. Niisan told her about those. Backing out of the room, she went to her own, and took another, less-favoured toy, to hug as she went to sleep.

--

When she woke in the morning, Hanabi stretched, and then jumped. Aneki was sitting in front of her bed, and… Hanabi had never seen her look so _confused_ before. Aneki was _never_ confused. Aneki _always_ knew what to do.

"This is yours," Aneki said, and held out Cuddles, and Hanabi's eyes grew wide. _Didn't Aneki like it? Doesn't Aneki like my gifts? She gave me a gift, after all, I need to give her one back!_

"No! We're sharing it, Aneki!"

"…_Sharing_ it?"

"Yes! Sharing! It's yours as well, Aneki!" Hanabi chewed her lip furiously. _What if she said no? If she said no… would that mean she didn't like Hanabi?_ She didn't want to think of what _that_ would mean. Aneki's brow furrowed, and her lip curled.

"Why would the Hyuuga clan head need a toy _bear_?" she said, and Hanabi felt her heart almost stop.

"Why would you need a toy bear?" It was such a _simple_ question! "Because… Because it's soft! And it's warm, and cuddly! And it keeps you company, when you're alone, and… and…" she hesitated, but something in her told her this was the right answer. "And it shows someone _loves_ you." _That's what Ka-San did, right? When she got the bear for me?_ Hinata's face remained the same, and Hanabi pressed on, her lip bleeding due to her attentions on it. "It… it shows _I_ love you, A-Aneki…" The reaction was immediate – Aneki froze, even stopped breathing, and the colour drained from her already pale face, leaving it porcelain white. Then she shuddered, and Hanabi panicked. Was Aneki cold? Was Aneki sick? Aneki stood suddenly, and _threw_ Cuddles at Hanabi, before turning and storming out of the door. Hanabi, mouth wide open, looked down at the bear, and then at her sister's back, and the tears trickled down her face silently._ Aneki…_

--

Neji glanced at Hinata, and saw her normally composed face shuffling through emotions. First rage, then anxiety, and then fear. That was unexpected, from the Hyuuga head. The Hinata _he_ knew was cold and distant, and a master of maintaining her mask. _But then again, how well _did_ he know Hinata?_

"Hinata-Sama?" He saw her break from her cycle, focus on the withering glare she graced him with daily.

"What is it, Neji?"

"Is there something wrong?" He was surprised to see her turn from him. Normally, if she did not approve of a question, she shot it down with a snide comment, but now…

"…Don't need love…" she muttered, loud enough for him to hear, another thing that surprised him. If Hinata did not want him to hear something, there was no way he would hear it – she kept comments she did not want him to hear inside the prison of her lips.

_Don't need love… Oh Kami-Sama!_ Neji's eyes widened – the Uchihas!

"Hinata-Sama! I will not allow anything to happen to you – I will protect you, but you do not need to go through with this! You do not need to give in to their demands!" Hinata's withering glare was effortlessly replaced with confusion, genuine as opposed to the mask she occasionally donned to fool others.

"What are you babbling about, Neji?" He paused, and began to slip into the Jyuuken. He would need to think his next sentence carefully… When he emerged, he had spent the equivalent of five minutes in there, though it was something more like two and a half in real-time.

"Neji! I was speaking to you! What are you talking about?"

"Hinata-Sama… You may no longer trust me with Hizashi… but as you saw the day before yesterday, I am still a Hyuuga, and prepared to do my duty for the clan; to keep it free from Uchiha control. You may trust me with _this_, at least." Hinata's face became surprised, and then she smiled, though _this_ was not genuine.

"I will keep that in mind, Neji." _Damn it! _Neji cursed his overeager desire to appease Hinata – the knowledge that she no longer trusted him with Hizashi, whilst relieving him, as he now would not have to fight his father, also terrified him that Hinata would become even _more_ distant, and see him as even _more_ of a waste than she already did.

Besides which, it was the _duty_ of a Hyuuga to follow the will of the Clan Head wills, and as he lacks the strength to hate Hizashi, he must instead tackle the lesser evil, that of the Uchiha clan. _One of whom is on Hinata-Sama's team._

"Goodbye, Hinata-Sama. I will see you at home." He turned towards Gai's Dojo, whilst she set off in the direction of the Memorial Stone.

--

When Naruto arrived, the other two Genin of Team 7 were already there. He eyed them both warily. Hinata had written a pretty official-looking letter, about the _responsibilities_ the team had to each other, but she hadn't said anything about them actually _liking_ each other… But she hadn't said that they had to _hate_ each other, either… He decided to drop the –teme from his team-mates' names, unless of course they started acting like temes again. Then he'd be justified.

Hinata seemed troubled – Naruto had never been the best at reading faces, having learned that simply by watching others practice, as he had with so many other social skills, but he recognised that a person looking at the ground, head bent, eyes closed and mouth pursed normally meant they had something on their mind – something depressing. Well, he knew a good way to get rid of depression.

"Ohayo, Hinata!" he said, as loudly as possible, and Hinata's head snapped up, even as Sasuke glared at him out of the corners of his eyes. However, he didn't care what Sasuke thought. The Uchiha hadn't been anything like Hinata when it came to accepting the team, so Naruto still thought of him as Sasuke-Teme, and would do so until he proved himself otherwise. No, what he cared about was the look on Hinata's face – where the moody, pensive look had evaporated, though she looked confused. Naruto gave her a cheerful wave, and, somewhat less cheerfully, she responded. Sasuke grunted.

"Stupid Dobe, had to come in and yell. Be more quiet." Yep, he was still a –Teme.

"Oi, Sasuke-Teme! Keep out of it! I'm just saying hello!" He was ready for Sasuke's increased glare, but not for Hinata's.

"You two are annoying. _Both_ of you be quiet." So… she was being a –Teme as well. But still, she'd stuck up for him, _twice_. _She also stuck up for Sasuke, when you were first put together as a team._ She'd drawn up that contract-thingy, saying they'd look out for each other. _She said, several times, that you don't have to like each other._ She was _Hinata_, for Kami-Sama's sake! _She was _Hinata_, for Kami-Sama's sake!_

He decided to stay away from her – she may not be as much of a Teme as Sasuke, but she was still a Teme.

The next few hours were spent in silence. Naruto brooded on his team-mates-that-didn't-want-to-be-a-team, _particularly_ Hinata. She confused him – sometimes she seemed to want to move closer to him; other times, she was determined to push him _away_. Didn't she know what she wanted? He snorted. Maybe it was just 'cause she was a girl. Girls were _always_ confusing – especially Sakura-Chan, who he'd had a crush on since he first saw her, but who always called him a brat, and hit him if he came near her. No, girls were just _weird_. At least he and Sasuke-Teme _knew_ where they stood; they were rivals, and that was _it_. There wasn't any 'maybe, maybe-not,' like there were with girls.

When Kakashi arrived in a puff of smoke, it was to a trio of glares.

"What the hell! You told us to be here at six! Why're you so late!?" Naruto raved at the Jounin, who waved it off with a nervous laugh and smile.

"Sorry, sorry, but I found a bird with an injured wing, and had to take it to hospital…"

"_Bullshit!"_

"Shut _up_, _Dobe_," Sasuke growled, and at the same time Hinata hissed, "stop being so stupid, Naruto."

"Now then… our first mission." Kakashi's statement stopped Naruto from replying to his team-mates, and all three listened in closely. "We have an important mission, now… to catch Tora, the pet cat of the Daimyo's wife." All three Genin face-faulted.

"You're joking…" Hinata said, but the Jounin, even though he was smiling, did not seem to be.

"Nope! Now… normally at this time of day, that cat's in the _Eastern_ section of Konoha…"

"Does this happen _often_?" Sasuke asked, incredulous.

"Yeah, about once or twice a day. Consider this as a chore, and we'll go get your pocket money once we've got the cat, ok? Helps if you think like that. At least, it did when _I_ was a Genin."

--

"This is Naruto, I've found the cat!" Naruto said, as he chased through the streets of Konoha, after the cat that did not want to be caught. It jerked around a corner, and Naruto jumped to the wall of a house, before kicking off, continuing his momentum. He was so close he could almost _touch_ it… and then it jumped. Naruto looked up, and saw that it had clawed its way over a wall. Well, that wouldn't stop him! He jumped up, and dragged himself over, and chased the cat over the rooftops. It leapt back down into the street and he followed, and then… it ducked under a cart, and Naruto tried to go around, only to see a caravan of carts. He swore. _Of course!_ _Today's the day the farmers come to sell their wares!_

"This is Naruto," he said more sullenly into his earpiece. "I've lost the cat, but it's heading towards Sasuke's sector."

--

_Hn_, of course the _Dobe_ would lose the trail. He had gotten lucky in their fight, gotten lucky whilst Sasuke underestimated him, and it wouldn't happen again. He knew that the cat would try to escape the heat and noise of the main road, and had set traps in the alleys – pet treats that would, when touched, trigger a makeshift cage to fall upon the animal. All he had to do then was pick it up, and take it to Kakashi, getting the lion's share of the reward. He heard the sound of a cage falling, and immediately jumped into that alleyway. He hadn't expected this to be so _easy_…

"Oi, Uchiha! What're you doing to Akamaru!?" Inuzuka Kiba stood face-to-face with him, and growled, and Sasuke looked inside the cage to see the white nin-dog, which barked.

"It was a mistake, he said simply, and sighed. There was no way the cat would fall for this now, not with the scent of dog littering the alleys.

"This is Sasuke. The cat's not going to fall into my traps," he said, before reaching for a key. _Fuck you, Inuzuka._ "Hey, dog-boy. Fetch!" he said, and threw the key as far as he could, watching Kiba's eyes widen before he chased after it.

--

This was _intolerable!_ First Hanabi had come out of nowhere with that _'I love you, Aneki'_, and now they were expected to catch _cats_, for Kami-Sama's sake! How was this supposed to prepare them for fighting missing-nin? How was this supposed to help her become strong enough to fight Hizashi? She'd listened with growing annoyance as first Naruto, then Sasuke failed in their attempts to catch the cat. Kakashi, of course, was taking a nap, leaving her to try and catch the accursed cat… Tora ran from around a corner, and Hinata settled into Jyuuken, smiling. There was no way it would escape her now… it wasn't even _trying_ to avoid her, just running in a straight line _towards_ her. Suddenly, it pounced, directly into Hinata's arms. Shocked, Hinata almost dropped it, but the cat still purred, and stretched as it became comfortable with its temporary lodging. Slowly, she reached out a hand to stroke it, and its purring increased in volume. Equally hesitantly, Hinata put the same hand to her earpiece.

"This is Hinata. I've got the cat," she said, and had to endure Naruto screaming praise at the top of his voice. Sasuke restrained himself to a neutral 'Hn'. Hinata glanced down at the cat, and, quite absurdly, was reminded of Tenten. The brunette had been quite adamant that they refer to themselves as the "Cat-Ninjas", ever since their first meeting at training area 10, and even though Hinata was quite content to think of herself as the cat to Neji's heron, it struck her that she knew next to nothing about them – they were furry, and had claws, and that was about it. This cat seemed to be unlike the stray cats that Hinata had seen in Konoha – it was fat, and its fur was sleek, and it seemed… _nice. _Absently, she considered getting a cat of her own, as Team 7 appeared around her and the still-purring cat.

--

Hinata had certainly received more money than she had thought from the mission; and whilst she had declined Naruto's post-mission Ramen dinner, claiming that she wasn't hungry, she had been forced to console the blonde by promising to go with him the next time he arranged a dinner. The though of eating those salty boiled noodles made her feel sick, and she didn't know how Naruto survived eating them, day after day. Sasuke, unsurprisingly, had gone home rather than eat alongside Naruto again, and Kakashi, after making sure that he wouldn't be paying for it this time, finally gave in and went with the loud blonde. Speaking of loud… the package she carried had not stopped making noise since she'd received it, and the constant shifting of weight inside it made her feel as if she may drop it at any moment.

_This had better be worth it,_ she thought grimly as she stepped into her home, and kicked off her shoes, before calling out.

"Hanabi? I have something for you, imoutou." Hanabi definitely required an outlet for her emotions, as her earlier display had showed, and Hinata had no wish or patience to be that outlet. It had proved to be… too distracting, for the rest of the day. Hanabi poked her head out of her room, and mustered a feeble attempt at a glare, which came across as more of a pouting sulk. Hanabi never had gotten the hang of glaring. _However, she could play the part of the sulking child very well, _Hinata thought, as Hanabi dragged her feet, and generally displayed an aura of not wanting to be there. Hinata placed the bag on the floor, forced a smile on her face, then reached in and drew out the creature that had cost her most of the reward for retrieving the Daimyo's cat. It definitely did the trick – Hanabi's face melted immediately, and her shuffling half-walk became a mad dash down the corridor.

"Kawaii! Aneki, where did you get it? Can I hold it? Does it have a name? Aw, it's so kawaii!" the kitten Hinata held in both hands blinked at the sudden noise, then mewled, and Hanabi clasped her hands together. "Aww… It's perfect, Aneki! It's so kawaii!" She tentatively reached out her arms, and Hinata nodded, before putting the kitten into the care of her sister, who, somewhat more expertly than Hinata would have thought, tickled the kitten under its chin and behind its ears. It purred loudly, and Hanabi's large eyes grew even wider, as did her smile.

"I thought you may like a kitten," Hinata said, and Hanabi nodded, rubbing her cheek against the kitten's fur.

"What's its name, Aneki?"

"You can name it." Hanabi looked for all the world as if she had just received a second birthday present.

"I'm calling it Hinata-Chan," she said, almost immediately, and giggled. "You're going to be a good cat, Hinata-Chan! _Yes-you-are!_"

"I was thinking… perhaps… we could _share_ this." Hanabi stopped immediately, and the cat mewled for her affections.

"Hold this just a moment, Aneki!" she said, thrusting the cat into Hinata's arms, and dashing back to her room. Hinata stroked the cat, and it butted its tiny head against her shoulder, before Hanabi re-appeared, holding her bear.

"Here! We'll share them both, Aneki!" she said, and gave Hinata the bear, as she took the cat. "'Cause… 'Cause I _do_ love you, Aneki…" _There was that word again._

"I suppose… I suppose I love you too… imoutou," Hinata said, and Hanabi opened her arms and wrapped herself in a hug around her bigger sister, with the kitten and the bear between them. Hinata felt uncomfortable at first, but then looked down at the top of her sister's head, as she pressed her face into her stomach, and smiled.

--

Neji, returning home from yet another sparring session, watched, amazed, as he saw the two sisters hug. The Hinata-Sama _he_ remembered would _never_ allow anyone that close to her, just in case they chose to attack her. Even though that was to do partly with her lack of combat prowess when she was young, he wondered… how much of her openness is from confidence in her abilities, and how much could be from something else…

He felt a coldness inside him, and sighed. He regretted, now, that he did not prove himself sufficiently beforehand, and was now outside of her circle of trust – even as Hanabi entered it… he stiffened, suddenly, at the horrifying thought that passed through his mind. No! Surely not! Not even Hinata-Sama would… But he remembered Hanabi's words – _'I want to be _just_ like Aneki when I grow up… Niisan and Aneki are my _best_ friends!'_ She _loved_ Hinata, not only as a sister, but as her mother-by-default; a love beyond all reason… Surely not even Hinata-Sama's hatreds could make the Hyuuga head abuse that love so… Surely not… Hinata-Sama may be cold, but to see devotion where others saw love… He watched as Hinata took Hanabi to her bedroom, and put her to bed, laying the kitten at her feet, where it curled up, yawned, then went to sleep. Hinata-Sama could act, Hinata-Sama could deceive… Could she fake _love?_ '_Why not?' _something inside him said.After all, Hizashi could. He could fake love, and he could _use_ love, as a weapon. Was it… was it possible that Hinata-Sama was becoming the thing she _hated?_ More importantly, could he stand by and watch? The river of life seemed determined to test his fate.

**A/N: **

**Heh - is Hinata finally warming up, or are Neji's fears founded, and Hinata seeking to use her sister?**

**This is the end of the "Beginning Arc", and the Wave Arc poll is now over - as a three-way tie. Hmm... Luckily, I had planned for that - you'll see what happens next chapter. I know not much really happened this chapter, but its really just to provide bases for a couple of future plotlines.**

**As always, reviews are welcomed.**


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Hizashi:

**A/N: Sorry, didn't announce last time that the "What's Hizashi doing?" poll would close for this chapter, but nobody else seemed prepared to vote anyway.**

_Keep focused, Yuugao,_ the ANBU repeated, almost as a mantra. _Keep focused._ If she _lost_ her focus, she _would _die. That was certain – their enemy was not to be taken lightly. She stepped back, swung her sword up to block the downward slash of the missing-nin, and glared at his bandage-wrapped face. Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Bloody Mist. _Keep focused._ He broke past her guard, and she danced aside from the tip of his massive cleaver, ducked his sweeping blow, and struck – her sword slicing into his muscular arm, before she withdrew and leapt back; moments before he crushed the spot she had been standing with a savage attack.

_He's too strong!_ Zabuza was beyond her, as to be expected from one of Kiri's Seven Shinobi Swordsmen. He was beyond _anyone_ on this mission, except perhaps for Tenzou-Taichou, buts he just had to hold him until Tenzou-Taichou and Hayate-Kun returned from their mission of destroying Gato's warehouses, ending the crime boss's stranglehold over Wave…

She dodged back again. _Shit! Focus, Yuugao!_ Gravel from the bridge's surface pelted her bare arms, and Zabuza, almost leisurely, stuck his sword into the crater he had made, and began to form seals. _He's just _playing_ with me…_ Yuugao realised bitterly. _Or not… Is he trying to bait me?_ It was too hard to decipher the man's intentions, when all she could see were his killer's eyes.

"Yuugao." She let out a breath when Morino Ibiki materialised behind her. That meant he'd finished fighting Zabuza's protégée, the hunter-nin. Though the scarred Jounin was covered with needles, she had never doubted he would win.

"Glad you could make it," she said, and smiled without warmth. "I was beginning to think you'd lost your touch, Ibiki-Kun."

"Hn. Sorry to break up your little chat, Konoha-nin… but I think I'll end this now. Kirigakure no Jutsu." A dense fog enveloped the entire bridge, and Yuugao cursed. She couldn't see beyond the tip of her sword, even when she channelled chakra to her eyes. "Impressive, isn't it, Konoha-nin? I picked this up back in Kiri – it's only ever failed against one person: the Mizukage that created the technique." His voice rang out from all around her, and Yuugao groaned inwardly. He could throw his voice, to deceive her. That was half the strength of ninja; deception, and seeing through them. Right now, she was truly being deceived, and if she didn't stop it soon… "Can't see, can you?" Zabuza's mocking tones could have come from _anywhere_. She felt the stirrings of fear, as her heartbeat quickened. She expected the next sound she heard to be that of his cleaver, slicing through the air and mist, and into her.

She definitely did not expect to hear the harsh, gravely laughter of Morino Ibiki.

"You think this'll work on me? You probably don't know who I am," he was saying. "But I know all about you 'silent killers'. I spent _three_ fucking years living in the dark, _just_ in case I ever had to fight one of you bastards. Hehehe. Yuugao, stay down. Your heart is too loud. I can barely hear _his_." She could see the scarred Jounin flash a smile, and then he stepped back and disappeared into the mist, and she crouched low to the ground as he said, and tried to slow her heartbeat. It was difficult, not knowing where _anything_ was. _Fucking Ibiki; only _he_ would spend three years preparing for something he may never even need. _He _was_ Konoha's head of interrogation for a reason – if he did that to _himself_, who _wanted_ to know what he did to his enemies?

Suddenly, there was the clash of metal on metal, a grunt of pain, the shifting of loose gravel, and then the unnatural silence, except for the sound of her heart, beating loud in her ears. _Thump-thump, thump-thump._ Another clash, and this time she heard the tearing sound of steel slicing through cloth. A stream of blood, bright-scarlet, arced from the impossibly near distance, and landed in a crescent before her. _Was it Ibiki's, or Zabuza's?_

"The problem with you silent killers is that you're so used to having everything your own way, that you make mistakes against those that can fight on an equal footing." She could _hear_ the grin of the interrogation specialist, and smiled despite herself, despite the fear.

"Well, then… guess I'll have to get serious." Zabuza's voice cut through the mist, and she heard the two clash again, the same shifting gravel as someone jumped, and then Ibiki barked at her.

"Yuugao! To your left, and behind!" She shifted, put her sword up, and the cleaver connected, cutting into her shoulder still, as she had been too slow to block it entirely. If she hadn't been warned, it would have been a crippling blow along her spine. Ibiki's running footsteps neared, and then Zabuza jumped back, and Yuugao stood. The sound of metal clashing again, and this time, there was no disengaging – just the sounds, over and over again, of one person bringing their weight around, delivering a blow that the other barely blocked.

Eventually, she heard a blow connect, a dull thud, and then the mist began to evaporate. She strained her eyes to see what had happened, and paused as she saw Ibiki, on one knee, the cleaver of Zabuza lodged deep in his side. That… It must have snapped _all_ the ribs on his left side. Zabuza, however, was not much better – he had a fist-sized hole through his right shoulder, and the arm hung limp. Both men were perspiring, and their breaths were ragged.

"Ibiki!" she screamed, and dashed towards the Kiri Jounin, fully intent on decapitating him. He looked at her, fear for the first time plain in his features, as he struggled to lift his massive cleaver with a single arm. And then, as she brought her sword down, there was something, some_one_ small, standing in the way, a discarded kunai in its grasp, a scratched hunter-nin mask on its face. Yuugao's strike hit the kunai, and the tip of her sword slashed down the mask, splitting it in two. The determined hazel-brown eyes of a kunoichi glared at her.

"Haku… leave it… we're beaten. Fucking Konoha… why'd they send _ANBU_ to protect that old man?"

"Why? 'Cause we're not like Kiri," Ibiki said, a grin on his face despite the pain. "We don't leave people to die if they can't afford our services. Hokage-Sama made _sure_ that this was given our _full_ attention, just because Tazuna-San needed it…" Then he coughed blood, and collapsed on his front. The girl, Haku, glanced between him and Yuugao.

"If you don't find help for him, he will die. Leave us, and we'll even let the old man live. But I _won't_ let you harm Zabuza-Sama."

Dilemma flared in Yuugao – should she complete the mission, or save her squad-mate, her _friend?_ She made a mental note to visit Kakashi when she got back to Konoha – she could fully sympathise with his father's position.

"Yuugao-Chan! cough Ibiki!" she let out her breath, and smiled when she heard the voice of her boyfriend, Gekkou Hayate. That meant the reinforcements were finally here.

"You're finished," she said, more to Zabuza than the terrified girl-child that stood before him, eyes flickering between the ANBU.

"Or not." All heads turned at the sound of the new arrival – nobody had sensed his approach. He wore a black cloak, with red cloud decorations, and had a straw hat covering his head, and casting a shadow over his face. Hayate began to draw his sword, and the figure turned his face towards him. "I wouldn't, Hayate-Kun. I would hate to have to inform your father that I had killed his only son; he was a good friend of mine."

"Who are you?" Tenzou, all seriousness, stepped forward, and the figure seemed about to answer, before leaping into the air. The gnarled limbs of a tree sprouted from the bridge, and curled upwards to try and catch him in their grasp, but he simply _touched_ them, and they split apart.

_How? How did he do that, with his _fingers Yuugao turned her attention fully from Haku to the new arrival, as he landed, and flung his right arm out to the side.

"I can see you, Tenzou-Kun. Hiding underneath the bridge… I could kill you from here."

_How can he see _through_ the bridge?_

"Who are you!?" she called out, not entirely willingly, and the figure turned its attentions towards her. Slowly, he reached up with his right hand, and grasped the straw hat, pulling it off in a single movement. Dark hair fell to waist-length, and a face that seemed to be chiselled, no, _sculpted_, from marble glared at her imperiously. The thing that caught Yuugao's attention, though, were his eyes. They were white, pupil-less, with the chakra coils around them bulging out. There was only one family with those eyes, and only one member of that family old enough to be the person standing before her.

"Hyuuga Hizashi," Hizashi said, and walked slowly towards her. "Stay out of my way, and I will not harm you or your squad." Almost mesmerised, Yuugao remembered at the last moment that this man was an S-Ranked missing-nin, and an enemy of Konoha. She got ready to strike, with Hayate by her side.

"Yuugao! Hayate! Stand down! Take Ibiki and get out of here; he is beyond you!" Tenzou almost bellowed, and his Moku Bunshin drew a sword of its own, charging at the Hyuuga, who paused for a brief moment.

"Pathetic," Hizashi said, and delivered a palm-strike. The Bunshin, though it was nearly thirty metres away, fell apart like unravelled thread, and Hizashi closed his eyes. "_Hakke: Rokujuuyon Shou."_ _Impossible! Tenzou-Taichou's not in range for Jyuuken!_ But as the Hyuuga whirled, delivering Jyuuken strikes, the blue flashes of chakra continued to materialise, like little arrows, and passed _through_ the bridge. Tenzou screamed as they hit him, and they heard him fall into the river with a splash. Hizashi nodded, then continued, not towards Yuugao, but towards Haku and Zabuza. The Kiri missing-nin lifted his cleaver, with extreme difficulty, and tried to push in front of Haku.

"Bring… bring it on, you son-of-a-bitch. Fucking Hyuuga, eh? More like a vulture than a heron, if you ask me."

"Your life is irrelevant, Momochi Zabuza. However, your bounty is attractive. Stand before me, and I will kill you. Step aside and I will only take the girl." Zabuza glanced behind him, at Haku.

"Heh. You'll have to go through me, Hyu-" Zabuza had not even finished speaking, before Hizashi suddenly _was there_, face-to-face with him.

"As you wish," he said, and delivered a Jyuuken strike to Zabuza's chest. The missing-nin fell to his knees, the bandages wrapping his mouth turning first red, then black with blood. Then he collapsed, shuddering as he choked to death on his own blood.

Yuugao did not wait to see more. With Hayate holding up Ibiki, she leapt from the bridge to help Tenzou, who was treading water furiously, wincing at the sensation on his sensitive tenketsu, and the two groups met at Tazuna's position, where they had left the medic-nin of the squad. As the ANBU left the bridge, they heard only the heart-rending wail of Haku, as she screamed "Zabuza-Sama!" Yuugao couldn't help but pity the girl that had until recently been their enemy. She'd heard tales of Hyuuga Hizashi, and did not envy _anyone_ that fell into his clutches.

--

Hizashi absently bent down to retrieve his hat, and readjusted it on his head, before picking up the unconscious Haku, making sure not to wet his cloak in the blood that was spattered across the bridge. It was annoying, but Leader-Sama insisted that the members of Akatsuki keep their uniforms _pristine_. The last member to ignore him, Hizashi's first partner, had been the victim of what Leader-Sama liked to call 'Judgement'. Zetsu had arrived not too long after to claim his body and retrieve his ring. The replacement for him had been chosen by Leader-Sama himself, and Hizashi had been one of the shinobi sent to recruit the Iwa-nin known as Deidara.

"Heh. Finally you're back, Hizashi no Danna. I was beginning to think something had happened to you, yeah." Deidara was clever – Hizashi had no doubts about that. He was clever, clever enough to keep his intelligence a secret. Leader-Sama and perhaps Orochimaru had decided that there was something more to the blonde explosives expert, but the rest of Akatsuki preferred to believe in the idiot façade that Deidara kept up – falling prey to his expert deceptions. Hizashi thoroughly approved of that trait.

"I had a reunion, with some old friends." Only partially true – they'd been here for weeks beforehand, as soon as he had heard Orochimaru boasting about his spies locating a girl with a rather… interesting Kekkei Genkai. It had taken a while for their elusive target to show herself, but rather than snatch her immediately, Hizashi had waited for a demonstration of her abilities. A shame that she had been matched against the head of the ANBU interrogation corps. Against a Jounin such as Morino Ibiki she had been doomed to defeat – but she had held out for an impressively long time – sufficient to confirm his belief that _she_ was the one he wanted.

"Oh? If I didn't know you better, yeah, I'd say that was a lie. We both know you don't have _friends_, Hizashi no Danna. Nah, I'd say you were busy reading _poetry_, or something, yeah." Whilst Deidara considered himself an extremely artistic shinobi, who expressed his art through the single instants of explosions, he seemed to have Hizashi pegged as a lover of a different, and in his mind, inferior art, the art of poetry, of verse and rhyme, and words that moved the soul. He may have been correct, but Hizashi did not wish to argue with Deidara over the meaning of art yet again.

"We will need to go to Konoha," he said, stepping onto the clay bird that Deidara had already sculpted.

"Oh? Why's that?"

"I did not get my son a birthday present this year." Deidara glanced at the girl slung over Hizashi's shoulder.

"Heh. You could've picked a girl that _wasn't_ on the battlefield, you know? Plenty of pretty civilians out there, yeah."

"No. This one is perfect."

"Whatever you say, Hizashi no Danna." Deidara stepped onto his spot, on the area where the collarbones _would_ be on a real bird. Hizashi preferred to sit near the tail, and he laid Haku out across its back. A few wing-beats later, and the three of them were airborne. Hizashi nodded, then took Haku's shoulder and shook it. Slowly, the girl woke up, then saw where she was, and sat up, too quickly. She slid, almost off the bird, but Hizashi reached out an arm and caught her, before pulling her back up. Now, for his second area of expertise. Amongst the Akatsuki, the S-Class missing-nin all had their own areas of expertise, or areas that they dominated, and others tended to leave alone. Kakuzu had a certain sense for sniffing out bounties, and were it not for his partner, Orochimaru, the organisation would be far richer. Orochimaru had an almost mock-hidden village, and between him and Sasori, had contacts in nearly every village in the shinobi nations. The only village neither of them could touch was Ame, and Leader-Sama had forbidden them from trying.

Hizashi's area of expertise was interrogation, and though Orochimaru could also play the part quite well, they were almost like contrasts – Orochimaru gave his victims immense physical pain, whilst Hizashi contented himself with installing doubts, and weakening their resolve. Orochimaru delighted in hearing his victims scream, whilst Hizashi preferred hearing them thank him. Orochimaru's victims were broken, in body and mind and soul. Hizashi's were _converted_. He could, and had, managed to convince one prisoner to become a cultist of Jashin, though Hidan had asked him not to do that again – to let people choose, instead of basically being forced into it. He almost felt a pang of sympathy for the girl sitting before him – she was so innocent, this would be pathetically easy.

"Where is Zabuza-Sama?" was the first thing she said. She looked at him with those hazel eyes, desperation evident. "Please… you didn't kill him… you _didn't,_ did you?" So she harboured feelings towards her former master? That was as good a place to start as any. He decided against showing her the severed head he carried in a pouch – He would not need to resort to physical reminders to convert this girl.

"Momochi Zabuza is dead; you belong to me. I saved your life – look at me!" Haku, who had kept her eyes downcast as he told her of Zabuza's death, jerked up as he barked at her. "I _saved_ your _life_. Do you understand what that means?" Haku hesitated, then nodded.

"Z-Zabuza-Sama… He… h-he didn't have to s-save me… I _h-had _to repay him…" her eyes began to fill with tears, and Hizashi frowned, before striking her, quick-as-a-snake. The shock lasted on her face as she raised a trembling hand to the red mark.

"Weapons do not _cry_," he sneered. "They do not _weep_ for their former masters. No, they think: 'how can I be more useful to _this_ master?' Do you understand?"

"B-But… Z-Zabuza-Sama… _Loved_ me…" Haku's tears glistened, lingering on her face before the wind took them as droplets to be scattered across the land below. Her breathing became rapid and ragged, and Hizashi knew he almost had her. The combination of shock and loss dulled a person's will, and Hizashi was a master of exploiting that will. He twisted his face into a sneer, saw the fear playing across Haku's face, and spoke.

"Tools are _never_ loved, you fool. They are merely _used,_ until their usefulness ends. Tools do not _love,_ they _obey._" Deidara looked over his shoulder disapprovingly. He had been present at half-a-hundred of these interrogations, but he considered himself a gentleman. He would gladly explode women that fought _against_ him, but to him, it was an entirely different thing to destroy women _off_ the battlefield. In some ways, Hizashi's partner could be so _blind_, even whilst he was so _sharp_. He silenced the coming protest with a glare. "Watch where we are going, Deidara – I do not wish to die in this manner."

"Hmm, okay, Hizashi no Danna, but…" _Don't say it._ "Be gentle with the girl, yeah." Deidara's sense of chivalry thus appeased, he turned his back, to let Hizashi continue. Haku, shivering with the cold, did not seem to have heard. That was good. Hizashi did not like unpredictability, and Deidara's statement may have provided an unpredictable element to the entire encounter.

"Now, Haku?" his tone dropped, from harsh to suddenly caring. Haku looked at him, eyes vacant. Hizashi smiled, the same way he used to smile at his son.

"What is it that you require, Hizashi-Sama?" _She was his._

"I have a son, whom I love, just as you believed you loved Zabuza…"

--

When they touched down near the gates of Konoha, Hizashi Henge'd his appearance, seeming almost like an older version of Haku, wearing a kimono. To the casual passer-by, it would be a parent and daughter, wandering about Konoha. They may think the daughter was a bit dirty, but they would see a happy father alongside her, and chalk it down to the daughter having played in the forest, or something similar. People rarely saw what they did not wish to, when an alternative presented itself. Hizashi kept his smiling mask on, until they were right outside the Hyuuga compound. Only then did he speak.

"Now, Haku, do you remember what I told you?" Haku nodded hesitantly.

"Hai, Hizashi-Sama. I am to serve Neji-Sama, to… remind him that he controls his own destiny…" She looked at Hizashi, imploring him to allow her to escape from repeating the last part of his instructions. She would get no such mercy.

"And?"

"A-And… a-and… I am to bear N-Neji-Sama's… children…"

"That's a good girl," Hizashi said, and patted her on the head, before handing her a scroll. "Go to the largest house, in the centre, and then to the second room on the right when you open the door. That is where you will find Neji. If you do not, then wait for him there. Understood?"

"Hai, Hizashi-Sama," the girl replied. She may not like the task set out for her, but Hizashi _had_ her. He had effortlessly filled the space Momochi Zabuza had in her life, and reinforced her perception of herself as a tool.

Hizashi hesitated, glancing back to where he had left Deidara, who was still under the assumption that he was only performing this one task. He may not be able to return to Konoha for some time – it would be a good idea to check on… other affairs before he left. As Haku opened the door to what had once been the home of the Hyuuga Main House, and timidly stepped inside, Hizashi turned, his next location already in mind. As he neared it, he stepped into a darkened alley, and altered his Henge again. When he emerged, his hair was cut short, and he wore the blue-and-black uniform of an Uchiha military policeman. A pair of onyx eyes completed the deception, and Hyuuga Hizashi stepped into the Uchiha Compound unchallenged.

--

Uchiha Fugaku was a man of many pleasures – a fault common to those in possession of power such as his. Hizashi coughed, to draw his attention away from the half-eaten roasted pig he had laid in front of him. Fugaku glared at him for a moment, sake bowl halfway to his lips. The room stank of alcohol, and… other, even less savoury smells. Hizashi was glad he had not walked in on Fugaku with a whore.

"Who are you? Why are you disturbing me?" Hizashi dropped his henge, and Fugaku's face dropped into weary resignation. He put down the bowl and sighed loudly. Such rudeness was another unfortunate characteristic of the rich and powerful.

"I wish to know the status of the betrothal," Hizashi said calmly, and Fugaku rose from his seat.

"It's going to happen, Hizashi. Your son gets to be Hyuuga Head; I get control of two pairs of Byakugans – everybody wins, Heh, except for your nieces, of course."

"Nobody wins if the betrothal does not take place. It has been almost a year since we first discussed this. Why have you not acted?"

"Don't act like my better, Hyuuga!" Fugaku roared, and brought his fists down on the table, causing cutlery to rattle everywhere. Veins stuck out on his reddening face and bull-like neck. Hizashi swiftly decided that it would be more beneficial to appease the man's tremendous pride.

"My apologies, Fugaku-Sama. I merely wish to hear your – undoubtedly wise – reasons for such caution." That did the trick, and Fugaku's face returned to its normal colour, with a smile even appearing on his face. _How simple, to control him!_

"Ah, Hizashi, you see, you ask much of me. My heir, you see, Itachi – I cannot waste him! He is the finest Uchiha seen in generations! He will be the one to make the Uchihas ascend to our rightful place – as the rulers of Konoha! I have to be careful with him – not marry him off too soon." Uchiha Itachi… He had been very young when Hizashi saw him last – only ten or so – yet had been an ANBU captain. What he may be capable of now…

"Of course – you must be careful with those such as him." Those such as Neji. "I will, of course, seek a method to solve this problem of ours."

"Heh. Very well. Since you understand my position, I will wait until you 'solve' the problem. Heh." He lifted a jug of Sake, and took a whole swig of the rice wine. "The older girl, she's in my other son's Genin team. Apparently they don't get on well." Hinata… He still hated her; still hated her presence, her influence over his son. He had watched, for the first few weeks, as Neji acted almost like a slave for her, doing all in his power to try and undo the sins of his father, which had in his mind been passed down to him. Neji was not grasping his fate; he was submitting to it – a fact that made Hizashi almost despair. Hopefully, the girl – Haku, would repair his son's damaged sense of worth. Hinata, however, had simply fallen in his opinion – where before he hated her for what she represented, now he hated her for her very _existence_. She was the last link – centuries of Main House dominance, and he would make certain that the eventual death of it was drawn out, humiliating and painful.

"Perhaps this… development will aid him – if he learns to conquer the woman, he can only improve in worth – and if he cannot, then you have not wasted your heir." He knew well of Fugaku's treatment of his wife Mikoto, and was unsurprised when he nodded vigorously.

"Brilliant, Hizashi! Brilliant! Sasuke will marry Hinata – you can deal with the other one, the young brat, and Itachi… Itachi can be better placed elsewhere – there are other clans; more prestigious… he can choose, even. Heh-Heh Heh. Now, you must go – I have to plan for this; I'll even give your nephew an Uchiha maiden, to make a man out of him."

"Allow me to deal with Neji, Fugaku-Sama." Seeing the face of the Uchiha darken, Hizashi frowned inwardly. Fugaku was stupid, arrogant, and proud beyond all reason. He was a useful tool, but a volatile one.

"Is an Uchiha not good enough for you, Hizashi?" he growled, voice low and dangerous.

"Of course you may send Neji an Uchiha, Fugaku-Sama, but I fear he will not treat her as befitting her rank. You see, he has a great duty – to rebuild the Hyuuga clan, thus I-" He was cut off as Fugaku laughed.

"I see, Hizashi, I see. Your son will have many wives, eh? Well, the Uchihas, as the pre-eminent clan in Konoha, are obligated to aid the Hyuuga, especially for the service you have given us. Heh-Heh Heh. He may have an Uchiha, of course, as a… trophy." _Of course. When I am done, the Uchihas will be as pitiful as the Hyuuga are now – an Uchiha trophy will show the dominance of _my_ clan, my son's clan. _"Now, I think it is time for you to go – I am a very busy man, after all. Heh-Heh Heh." He clapped a hand down on the back of his fellow conspirator, and then turned back to his half-eaten meal. Hizashi nodded, and Henge'd once more into the false Uchiha, and left Fugaku's chambers.

The fool thought to play a game that the Hyuuga clan had refined to an art form – he was blunt, and tactless, and would have fallen already if not for Hizashi's subtle machinations. There were no shortage of Uchihas that deigned to take Fugaku's position – Uchihas far more capable than him. But it suited Hizashi to have the Uchiha weak. It would only make the conditions more favourable for his son to regain the Hyuuga's rightful place as the dominant clan of Konoha. Those that he saw as threats were whispered to Fugaku, and simply disappeared. After all, with the power Fugaku held, nobody would dare question him, at least openly. The shifts of military police were changing, he saw, as one group of Uchihas stood ready to go and patrol Konoha, and another group trudged in. Hizashi discreetly stood near the outgoing group – close enough to seem to be a part of it, yet far away enough to avoid catching the eye of anyone who would recognise an intruder. He was unsure of his ability to fight his way out of the Uchiha compound, and did not wish for things to come to that in any case – it would spell disaster for his mutually beneficial friendship with Fugaku.

Outside, he decided that he had one more thing to do before he left Konoha; one more person to visit. He found him in the eastern forest, training alone. He waited until the jounin had noticed him, and caught the kunai that was flung at him easily. He noticed, almost too late, the explosive tag attached to the end, and threw it into the trunk of another tree, where it blew a gaping hole. He glared at his would-be aggressor, and Uchiha Itachi looked back, meeting his glare with a detached curiosity.

"You are not one of us," he said, and Hizashi realised he was still wearing his Henge of an Uchiha. Of course… it was Itachi – he could not be considered an Uchiha prodigy if he failed to see through a Henge – even one as convincing as Hizashi's.

"Uchiha Itachi," Hizashi replied.

"You are not one of us – who are you, and why have you infiltrated the Uchiha?" He had not yet drawn a weapon, that was good – Hizashi would require all his willpower simply to _match_ Itachi – he was under no illusions as to the strength of the Uchiha – he was quite likely as strong as Hizashi, and possibly even stronger. Yet could he deceive?

"I have a proposition for you, Uchiha Itachi. I know of your strength, and your sole weakness." The Uchiha's expression did not change, but he did not answer. He knew that to answer first would be an _admission_ of his weakness. Unlike Fugaku, he was intelligent. Dangerous – a threat to the Hyuuga. He would have to be gone in order for Neji to become as strong as he must be.

"There is a missing-nin – Hoshigaki Kisame. S-Ranked, in the bingo books. He is considered one of the strongest shinobi ever produced by Kirigakure no Sato. A fine way to test your strength; especially when those of your calibre are in such short supply." It was an interesting tidbit of information, gleaned from a drunken Fugaku several years ago, that Itachi was constantly challenging himself, to be stronger, faster, better than he was the day before – but he was running out of challenges in Konohagakure no Sato. His goal, no, his obsession, was to become the strongest, not just in Konoha, but in the entire world.

"Kisame, you say? He is a strong opponent… Perhaps…" a ghost of a smile flitted onto the face of Itachi, and his eyes became unfocused for a moment. Then, he looked at Hizashi – furious. "You shall not deceive me," he hissed, and glared. "Who are you, and why have you come here?" Hizashi sighed in mock-exasperation, and returned the glare. This one was _dangerous_. He quickly checked with the Byakugan, to make sure that they were alone, and then dropped the Henge. He was pleased to see no change in Itachi's expression.

"Hyuuga Hizashi. I make you this offer, and give you a month to decide. If you do so, I will meet you in…" Kusagakure; that was where Kisame made his abode. "Kusa. You will tell nobody that you saw me, or that I told you about Kisame." Sharingan eyes narrowed – Itachi was unused to being given orders; even Fugaku merely gave him suggestions. However, both men knew he would obey, if for no other reason than his pride – it would lessen the victory for him if others knew he had been guided.

"Then in a month, I will meet you there. Leave Konoha now, Hyuuga Hizashi, or else I may view you as an enemy." Hizashi smirked, replaced his Henge, and then backed off. Itachi turned to pull a kunai out of a tree, when he heard the whistling of metal, and span sharply to catch a kunai in mid-flight, inches from his face.

"That was for the kunai you used against me," Hizashi said, and smiled over his shoulder, before using Shunshin to disappear from sight. Itachi gripped the kunai handle, until his knuckles turned white. _He was strong… His time would come._

--

Deidara sighed in exasperation as Hizashi arrived.

"Thank Kami-Sama; you _finally_ arrived! What'd you do – visit every house in Konoha?" Hizashi ignored him.

"Now we shall go," he said, and stepped onto his spot at the bird's tail. Deidara bit down the comment he had been preparing.

"You're as sadistic as Orochimaru, yeah, Hizashi no Danna," the blonde muttered, before taking his place, and having the clay bird carry them away. Hizashi didn't reply, his attention focused on a group of dots a little way from the village.

"Byakugan," he whispered, and his eyes flickered into their second sight – allowing him to see clearly objects hundreds of metres away. Four shinobi, he could see now. A blonde child, laughing loudly; a dark-haired boy who sneered at him; their jounin-sensei, Hatake Kakashi, and… he hissed as he saw _her_, the failure – the one responsible for _his_ son, _his_ legacy, not living life as he should. "Hyuuga Hinata," he muttered, and considered striking her down now. He could do so, and easily, but… it would be too swift for her. He wanted her to _suffer_ for what she did to Neji, for what she _represented_ – the last block to his ascension as Hyuuga clan Head.

"Hey, Hizashi no Danna! I'm taking us in to land! Leader-Sama wants us to prepare for a meeting!" He glared at the blonde, before releasing his telescope Byakugan.

"Very well." If Leader-Sama was calling a meeting, then something _very_ important had come up. He glanced at a paper butterfly, floating along beside them, and then ignored it. Whether they were Leader-Sama's, or his equally nameless partner's, the paper butterflies served as a means of communication for the far-flung members of Akatsuki.

As soon as the clay bird had landed, Deidara and he jumped off, and settled into meditative poses. Inhaling, Hizashi closed his eyes, and _felt_ Leader-Sama, before he heard him. When he opened his eyes, he saw Leader-Sama and his partner, or at least, their silhouettes, multi-coloured in the gloom of their current meeting place.

_"As usual – you two are the first to arrive. How did you find Wave Country?"_

"_Heh, it sure rained a lot, yeah, Leader-Sama. The assassination mission was fun, though – blowing the crap out of that ganglord's base… He got a special showing of my art."_

"_Hn. I was informed that you took with you a girl – a shinobi, with a Kekkei Genkai."_

_  
"Hai, Leader-Sama."_

"_Orochimaru was the one to discover her. He will be displeased to hear that she is now out of his reach. You will make it up to him – one way or another. Understood, Hizashi?"_

"_Hai, Leader-Sama." _It would not be too hard to find Orochimaru a suitable replacement – he already had an idea of who could be given as the sacrificial lamb – a girl that even Orochimaru would covet.

There was a faint buzzing sound, and then the next two members of Akatsuki arrived, their multi-coloured silhouettes taking their places on the respective fingers of the Hell God statue.

"_Sorry, Leader-Sama. Zetsu and I just finished cleaning out that goon's base."_

"_Kakuzu-San's Suiton array is impressive__**We were able to find many intact corpses."**_ The two halves of Zetsu spoke in jarring contrast, one with clipped, polite speech, the other in a harsh, metallic tone. Leader-Sama nodded his assent, before the next pair flickered in, decidedly less amicable than the previous two pairs.

_"Leader-Sama."_ Kakuzu seemed angry, and grew even more agitated at the chuckling of his partner, Orochimaru.

"_Now, now, Kakuzu-Kun. You mustn't sulk so. I beat you fair and square for the life of Karin-Chan."_

"_You promised last time, Orochimaru, that _I_ would take the bounty for this one." _Kakuzu's love of wealth was legendary, but so was Orochimaru's penchant for using missing-nin in his experiments.

"_Ah, Kakuzu-Kun, Karin-Chan will be most useful to me. I couldn't just let you butcher her, like you did Akiyama-Kun."_

"_She was worth almost a million Ryou, Orochimaru. She would have been of more use for that, instead of your little village."_

"_Stop bickering. Orochimaru, the next missing-nin you find will go to Kakuzu, no matter how much you want them. Understood?" _That was typical. Akatsuki was an organisation of individuals, unique and with their own goals, contrasting goals in many cases. Leader-Sama could not tolerate conflict in his organisation, so judged any and all grievances, and nobody was fool enough to defy him – not even one as powerful as Orochimaru. The Snake Summoner inclined his head to show that he agreed, or at least obeyed, and order returned, for a moment.

"_Where's the last two? I thought Sasori hated to keep people waiting?"_ Kisame sneered. He, more than any other, enjoyed making fun of the other members, and their little quirks.

"_**It is the newest member, Hidan,"**__ Zetsu's black half rasped. "His rituals to his god are time-consuming, and he refuses to leave them half-done."_

Eventually, there was the dull buzzing, and another two people appeared. One was low and hunched, with a dull wooden gaze and dark, spiked hair. The other was tall, with silver hair slicked back, and a perpetual sneer.

"_Forgive our lateness, Leader-Sama. Hidan insisted on making a sacrifice." _The tone of Sasori conveyed a sense of rolling eyes, and his partner spat at him.

"_Yeah, whatever. Fuck you, Sasori. Bad enough that you defile the bodies of the dead, but you're trying to stop me sending them on to a better place. Fucking puppet, why'd you need so many bodies anyway? I bet you fuck 'em when I'm not looking, you heathen bastard."_

"_Heh, Hidan, you should show some respect, yeah, Sasori's an artist too, even if it's a worse art, yeah." _This got Deidara glares from Sasori, Hidan and Leader-Sama's partner. Hizashi sighed in irritation and rubbed his eyes, but Leader-Sama immediately spoke up.

"_Enough! We are not here to gossip, but to make plans. There are two years until we may begin the sealing of the Bijuu, but I have no wish for you to remain idle during that time. The goal of Akatsuki is to use the Bijuu, to create and control wars, to destroy that shinobi villages, until only one remains – the village we shall build. However, just because we do not yet have the Bijuu does not mean that we cannot create a war. Kakuzu – which of the shinobi villages is the richest at this moment?"_

"_Hmm? Konoha, Iwa and Kumo. Those are the richest."_

"_Then we shall engineer a war between them. It should be simple – Iwa and Kumo have no love for Konoha. Once battle is joined, we will enter, as mercenaries."_

"_What? You're whoring us out for battle? Fuck that!" Hidan almost screamed, and Leader sighed._

"_Think of it as a crusade, for Jashin. You will kill many, Hidan." _He did not need to add that if Hidan failed to show him the respect he required, he would destroy him.

_"Hn, fine. Just don't expect me to _like_ it."__  
_

_"Shut your mouth already, Hidan – you're keeping everyone waiting."_

"_You are to divide into two groups - one on the Konoha-Kumo border, and one on the Konoha-Iwa border. Sasori, Hidan, Kakuzu and Orochimaru - you will meet in Otogakure no Sato. Hizashi, Deidara, Kisame and Zetsu, you will meet in Kusagakure no Sato. Those will be our bases for the duration of the war. I will observe, and give orders from a different location. That is all. Hizashi, Orochimaru, you two stay."_

The others fizzled out, one by one, until Orochimaru, Hizashi, Leader-Sama and his partner were the only four left. Of course Leader-Sama would be here to judge, and his partner went wherever he went.

_"I collected the child of the Wave, the Hyoton user," Hizashi said, and heard Orochimaru hiss. "I offer you in return another bearer of a Kekkei Genkai." _Orochimaru perked up, listening carefully.

_  
"Oh? Who, Hizashi-Kun? Haku-Chan was _very_ precious to me." _Hizashi had no regret in his coming words.

"_I offer you a Hyuuga, Orochimaru. My own blood."_ Not that he had, or would ever treat her as such, but deception was a key weapon for shinobi.

"_Oh? And why would I need a Hyuuga?"_ He wanted to draw this out – barter for the right price. Orochimaru also was a brilliant shinobi, one of the strongest in Akatsuki.

"_Of all things, you prize sight most highly, Orochimaru."_ No false subservience this time – Orochimaru was too cunning for that._ "The Byakugan is the purest form of sight."_ He saw him wavering, but Orochimaru was too good at this game – he was going to squeeze blood from the stone until it was dry and empty. Very well. _"And, as a bonus, I will procure for you an Uchiha."_ Neji would not miss the maiden Fugaku had pledged to send him – and Fugaku would write it off as the foolishness of a woman, taking her life rather than being dishonoured. Hizashi would make certain he saw so.

"_Why, Hizashi-Kun, that _is_ an interesting offer. I do so hope you don't hold it against me – you _did_ steal Haku-Chan, after all."_ No, there was no way that he would regret this. He smiled, as Leader-Sama cut the connection. Everything was falling into place – Fate was kind.

**A/N: Dun-dun-dun! Hizashi makes his first appearance!**

**This was originally going to be just a part of the next chapter, but it just grew, and grew and grew. Wave Country has been dealt with, though I decided in the end to use Haku - and to make him a girl, as it ties in with Hizashi's Master Plan.**

**The scene with Itachi was quite awkward to write, because I didn't want to make Itachi look _weak_, but Hizashi is the primary antagonist in the story, so _he _couldn't look weak either. I hope I got a nice compromise between the two - and got you all wondering what Hizashi's planning.**

**Yes, I messed around with the Akatsuki teams, because as well as Kakuzu and Hidan or Deidara and Sasori work, they can only be written about so many times, before all the artistic arguments become dull and repetitive. So, just for those that didn't get them, the Akatsuki teams (and Bijuu assigned) are as followed:**

**Hyuuga Hizashi (Nibi no Nekomata) and Deidara (Rokubi no Raiju)**

**Akasuna no Sasori (Yonbi no Soko) and Hidan (Ichibi no Shukaku)**

**Hoshigaki Kisame (Sanbi no Isonade) and Zetsu (Shichibi no Kaku)**

**Kakuzu (Gobi no Hokou) and Orochimaru (Yamata no Orochi)**

**Pein and Konan (Kyuubi no Kitsune)**

**Next time - Team 7 gets their C-Class mission + some team development, Neji gets a surprise, and Hanabi gets a friend.**

**As always, reviews are appreciated.**

**EDIT: I forgot before, but the idea of Hizashi influencing Fugaku was inspired by Madpsycho. Also, reading over this again, I think I'm going to have to _slightly_ edit the Akatsuki conversation - to tie in with what Itachi's doing and to keep Pein a secret... Oh, and change the name of the Jutsu that I'd accidentally put in English... (damned long Jyuuken attacks...)**


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Hinata/Sasuke/Neji/Naruto:

**A/N (Replies to Reviews):**

**bookworm2663-Thank you, and I hope this update was fast enough (I had a lot of free time lol)**

**MissNaye-Yes and No at the same time, you'll see.**

**LiMiYa-Thanks, Ibiki is one of my favourite minor characters, so I wanted to give him at least one good fight. Orochimaru and his relations with Akatsuki will be explained in a later chapter, and Hizashi's plans are just beginning...**

**Random Person-Ingenuous, as in honest? J/K, and yes, writing that many Akatsuki is a pain in the arse - they'll only appear in pairs or at most fours from now on.**

**Anyhoo, don't expect this update speed (3 days lol) to continue forever, but I'm in a sort of creative hyper-mode at the moment, and wouldn't rule out another update fairly soon.**

"Ne, ne, Hinata, Sasuke, let's play a game!" Naruto grinned, and held up a kunai, spinning it around his finger. Team 7, having completed another D-Rank mission, and having finally forced the Hokage to give them a C-Ranked mission, had taken up Kakashi's offer of camping out under the stars tonight, and Naruto, claiming that it was his first slumber party, seemed ready to play party games until everyone collapsed of exhaustion.

"A game?" Hinata looked at her blonde team-mate warily. It seemed that at any moment the kunai would slip, and could cause someone a serious injury. Sasuke, stretched out on the grass, did not even grace Naruto with an answer.

"Yeah! I've seen Sakura-Chan playing it before; they call it 'Spin the Kunai'. Whatcha got to do is spin it, and then you get to ask questions to the guy it lands on!"

"That's stupid," Sasuke said, not taking his eyes off the sky.

"Oh? Tell you what; I'll go first, if you play, Sasuke-Teme." Naruto smiled, and Sasuke hmphed, then smirked, and closed his eyes.

"Fine then. Why're you such an idiot? Did your mother drop you on your head at birth?" It became very silent, very quickly, and even Kakashi turned his attention from his book to the Genin.

"What'd you say, _Teme_?" Naruto's voice went icily cold, his eyes narrowed, and he clenched his hands into fists. Sasuke sighed, and opened his eyes, smirk disappearing.

"Maybe you should _listen_, Dobe. I _said_, did your mothe-" Naruto was on him in an instant, hands throttling Sasuke, and the two began to brawl, both throwing punches, until Kakashi stepped between them, effortlessly batted their blows aside, and pushed both Genin into the dirt, an arm twisted behind their backs.

"That is enough!" he said. His voice never rose, but it became much sharper, and the Genin froze. Kakashi was _pissed off_. Even Naruto stopped squirming, and Sasuke knew better than to fight back. "Now, we're going to play Naruto's game, and you're going to settle your differences through _words_ – you too, Hinata." He didn't even look at the Hyuuga head – she knew better than to argue. "Naruto, you go first. Answer Sasuke's question." Naruto began to protest, but a sharp twist of his arm changed his mind. When he next spoke, his voice was sullen.

"I never knew my mother," he said. "Or my father. I've been an orphan for as long as I can remember. So _no_, my mother _didn't_ drop me on my head, Teme." _Not even a memory… _Even Hinata, an orphan herself, had at least_ memories_ of her parents. Sasuke, in his own way an orphan too, tried to fathom never having known Ka-San, before she was merely Uchiha Mikoto.

"Good, we've got that out of the way. Did you hear that, Sasuke? _Don't_ make jokes about Naruto's mother, or I'll deal with it. Now, Hinata, you ask a question."

"But Kakashi-Sensei!" Naruto tried to wriggle out from Kakashi's grip, and the Jounin sighed, adjusted his weight. Hinata regarded him curiously – Naruto always seemed to fear _her_ more than Sasuke. _Why? Uchiha's the strongest one out of us three…_

"No complaining Naruto – you put yourself first, so _both_ your team-mates get to ask you a question. They're _both_ playing, after all. Now, Hinata?" Hinata nodded – she had a question, all right.

"How did you survive, without parents?" After all, Naruto was the only other orphan in their class – the only one like her, and yet he was _nothing_ like her. Naruto glanced up at her, then sighed.

"Ojii-San Hokage took me out of the orphanage, 'cause they said I wasn't supposed to be there. He paid for me to stay in my own apartment, but the landlord didn't want me to be there either, and everyone else moved away. I had to keep going by myself, 'cause there wasn't anyone else looking out for me – Ojii-San was too busy, and nobody else liked me. Then I got to the Academy." Of course – she remembered when he was first put in her class, back when the girls had Suzume, and the boys studied under the Chuunin Izumo. Naruto had immediately identified himself – louder even than the Inuzuka, with a penchant for mischief. She had only seen him a handful of times, before the two classes were separated, and thought him to be a waste of space.

"It was pretty crap, until we got Iruka-Sensei, 'cause he was an orphan too, and he knew what I was going through, though even though he was an orphan, people didn't glare at him all the time, or steal, or chuck stuff through his windows… But yeah, once I had Iruka-Sensei, things were a lot easier. Then… then I got _you_ guys, and, we've been kinda like a family – even Sasuke-Teme's like the stupid older brother." He looked at Hinata, and silently added – _and_ _you're like a sister._ Hinata opened her mouth to respond angrily – that he pitied himself too much, that he was… not what she expected.

"Good, good, Naruto. Now, I'm spinning the kunai, and it lands on… Sasuke. You two ask questions, and Sasuke, you _will_ answer, okay?"

"Hn." The Uchiha turned his head away, and Naruto, obviously still angry, did not venture a question. Hinata sighed, then spoke.

"What does your clan mean to you, Sasuke?" That was a question he hadn't been expecting. He glared at her once, as if to warn her against mentioning the betrothal.

"The Uchiha Clan… is a _prison_," he sneered. "Don't do what the clan doesn't want you to, or you _disappear._ The only ones that do as they like are Tou-San and Itachi. Otherwise, you do what they say, or _else_. My clan means _nothing_ to me."

"Oi, Teme… Why're you so angry?" Sasuke made sure to give Naruto an even stronger glare. "You've got _everything_: a mother, a family, you're rich, a _genius_, and you're in the best damned team in Konoha. You're so damned _lucky!_ Why're you so damned _angry _all the time!?" Naruto returned the Sharingan glare, red meeting blue, neither giving way.

"Heh… You don't know how lucky _you_ are. Nobody watching you, nobody _judging_ you, no rules, or restrictions… I'd switch places with you in an instant, Dobe, but the Uchiha clan would eat you alive." Both of the other Genin flinched back at the _hatred_ in their comrade's voice, and then Hinata found her resolve, grasped it, and spoke back.

"You missed out one thing, Sasuke. What is it like, having a _mother_? Would you give _her_ up?" She'd remember Sasuke's face forever – a mixture of hatred, fear, and resignation, topped off with frustration.

"Fuck you, Hyuuga. You don't _know_ what a mother is – you don't _know_ what it is you're talking about…" he winced as Kakashi jiggled his arm, grinding it against Sasuke's collarbone.

"Enlighten us, Sasuke. What _is_ a mother like?" Sasuke glared daggers at Kakashi, and kept his mouth shut. There was no _way_ he'd show weakness, not in front of these guys. Kakashi tried to coax him into it by jerking his arm, but Sasuke, once he got used to the pain, simply ignored it. _You can only become _stronger_ by conquering pain._ Kakashi sighed, after a few minutes of silence. "I didn't want to have to do this…" he said, releasing Naruto and pulling a vial from his pouch.

"What's that?" Sasuke said, and Kakashi eye-smiled.

"It's chilli powder. If I make you breathe it in… Well, it will be unpleasant… Now, will you tell us?"

"No," Sasuke said and smirked. No threat of physical pain would faze him in the slightest. 

"Then I suppose I'll have to tell Fugaku-San, about what you said about his clan." Sasuke's eyes widened, and he panicked. He _hated_ panic; it dulled his thoughts, made him _weak_.

"Fine. A mother…" he tried to ignore the fact that Hinata and Naruto were hanging onto his every word. "A mother is always _there_ for you, for good or bad, she's the one you can count on. When you do something good, she's always there to congratulate you."

"And if you do something bad?" Naruto, fascinated, was kneeling a couple of inches away from the Uchiha he had been in a staring contest with not five minutes ago. "She doesn't get mad, does she?" Hinata, whilst not as obviously as Naruto, was also inching closer. She remembered her mother, slightly, as a vague, comforting presence, but Sasuke's words were bringing back… memories, of a time before _he_ ruined everything.

"No… No she doesn't…" Sasuke seemed almost to be in a trance, and a smile even graced his lips, whilst he was oblivious even to the fact that Naruto was almost on top of him. "A mother… _comforts_ you, when you're unhappy…" _Yes… That was what Hikari had done, those times that Hiashi had insulted her. She'd made everything better, with _words Hinata half-smiled, then saw Naruto watching her, and watched as his face became disappointed. Even she, the other orphan, knew what a mother was like – Naruto did not. Joy gave way to sadness, and then, quickly, anger. _How_ dare_ he ruin her memories?_

"Hinata's turn now. You two, ask a question, and Hinata will answer – unless you want me to give you the 'Sasuke' treatment." Kakashi released his grip on the Uchiha, and Sasuke snorted, whilst swinging his arm to loosen it up.

"Fine, I've got one for you, _Hyuuga_. Where do you get off, acting so fucking _noble_? You're just as spoiled and arrogant and selfish and judgemental as me, but I don't try to hide it. You're only in this for yourself, just like me, but I don't bother hiding that. Why do _you?_" He smirked, and Hinata glared at him.

"Oi, Teme! Hinata's just being a _friend!_ Don't you-"

"Naruto!" Kakashi snapped, and Naruto flinched. "Let _Hinata_ answer the question." _But of course she _couldn't_ now. Naruto _had_ to butt in, and derail her train of thought._ She sighed, and glared at the world in general.

"Maybe I am, Sasuke. Maybe I am as spoiled, and arrogant, and judgemental as you. Naruto knows that – he was there when we agreed not to involve him in the team, remember?" she spared a glance towards Naruto, and saw from his hurt look that he _did_ remember, and that he wanted to forget. "Maybe I am just in this for myself, and you guys are just to tide me over until I can become a Hunter-Nin and kill Hizashi. But did you never consider the possibility that there might be a decent person underneath? Or do you compare me to yourself, like you seem to do with everything?" She grinned mentally as Sasuke's glare deepened and intensified. _After all, there _might_ be a decent person underneath my hatred – but they can't come out, not yet, not until Hizashi is dead. _He opened his mouth to retort, but before he did, Naruto spoke up first.

"Ne, Hinata, why do you live all alone in your big house?" Of course, Naruto _would_ come up with a completely random question. "'Cause, y'know, if we're a family, why don't we go live in your house? It's big enough for everyone. My place is… well, kind of a dump, so we can't go there, and Sasuke's family scares me." Both of the Genin blinked/

"Heh. Heh-Heh Heh..." It took a moment for the other two Genin to realise Sasuke was _laughing_. The raven-haired Uchiha previously gripped by anger, was chuckling at the other two.

"What's so funny, _Teme?_" Naruto growled at him, and Sasuke's smile grew.

"Dobe sees us as _family_," he sneered. "I bet he thinks he's your big brother, Hinata." Hinata glanced at her blonde team-mate, who flushed red. _Family?_

"Naruto, you are _not_ moving into the Hyuuga compound. It's… it's…" she struggled to find a word. "You're not a Hyuuga. You… you… you may _consider_ me as family, but that doesn't mean you _are_." Naruto pouted.

"Aw, come on, Hinata! There's _so_ much room – I'll be a good older brother, not like Sasuke-Teme, I swear!"

"Naruto, you will _always_ be the younger brother in the family," Kakashi said, and smiled. "His flat _is_ a dump, though, Hinata." The Hyuuga head scowled. Were they ganging up on her? Why did Naruto want to stay over so much? _Why do they go on about family?_ That said… it wasn't like hers was the greatest of families, either. A weakling cousin that was stronger than her, a sister unable to control her emotions, and _Him._ Could you even consider the pitiful remnants of the Hyuuga a family?

This team… it was flawed, definitely. It was not her _ideal_ team, but… it seemed to _work_. She was struck by the thought that _this_ may be the closest thing she had to a normal family – Sasuke as an elder brother: arrogant, _superior_, but able to be handled; Naruto as the younger brother, who actually _stuck up_ for her. Even Kakashi, lazy as he may be, could be considered a father-figure of sorts.

"Hn. Isn't it obvious, Hyuuga? Guess those Byakugan doesn't see as much as you claim." Sasuke had a smirk on again, after his verbal defeat to Hinata before. "Dobe thinks he'll be your _friend_ if you let him stay in your house, or maybe even your _brother_." She almost gaped, and Naruto looked a bit ashamed.

"We _are_ friends, right, Hinata?" Hinata opened her mouth, to angrily tell him no – she didn't need friends, they'd just distract her, all she needed were team-mates, but then she remembered one of her last cordial conversations with Neji, before he'd overstepped his place.

_"Hinata-Sama, how was your day at the Academy?" Neji, a year older than her, had already moved onto more advanced classes, learning basic Academy Jutsus. Hinata was still stuck with training with Tenten, and the brown-haired kunoichi was beginning to frustrate her with the ease that she surpassed Hinata's Kenjutsu skills._

"_It was fine," she lied._

_  
"Oh? Did you learn much?"_

"_No." She scowled. "Naruto-Baka kept messing around when Kotetsu-Sensei tried to explain Chakra Moulding, and then all his friends joined in. Nobody seemed to care, except for me."_

"_Didn't your friends back you up?" Hinata snorted._

_  
"We don't _need_ friends, Neji. We are _Hyuuga_. We have each other, and that's all we need."_

"_Hinata-Sama, that's not true at all. I have friends in my class, and they… they are perfect." She waited for him to elaborate, but when it didn't seem forthcoming, she lost patience and poked him in the side._

_  
"What do you _mean_, 'perfect'?"_

"_There is Lee-Kun, who is the most enthusiastic in the class – he keeps going, no matter what. Then there is Tenten, who is the only kunoichi in the class that doesn't bother me with their attention. She only wants to train. I heard that she trains with you..."_

"_Never mind that! How do they help you?"_

"_Excuse me, Hinata-Sama?"_

"_Do they make you stronger?" He hesitated, before speaking._

"Not always… Not always for battle, Hinata-Sama."  


"_Then what use are they!?"_

"_They… they show you what it is to be human, what it is to be a child. They-" Hinata cut him off._

_  
"Then they're useless. All we need is to be strong – to kill _your_ father." She watched him closely, to see his reaction. He had been acting suspicious lately._

"_Yes, Hinata-Sama," was all he said, his voice stony._

She didn't _need_ someone to make her feel human – she _knew_ she was human, but that was not going to help her at all. She didn't _need_ a friend. She looked at Naruto, who was trying not to look hopeful – it was _her_ he was dealing with, after all. _You may not need a friend, Hinata, but _he_ does._

"After the next mission… we'll see," she said, and Naruto reacted quicker than she expected – in a blur of orange-and-blue, he was by her side, and he enveloped her in a bearhug.

"Yatta! Thanks, Hinata!" he shouted, and only let go when Kakashi pointed out off-handedly that Hinata was turning blue.

"Now, in all seriousness, guys, pack up tomorrow with supplies to last you a month. I doubt we'll be out that long, but it never hurts to be prepared, does it? I'll see you all at the Memorial Stone at 6:00 tomorrow." With that said, he shunshined away.

--

Hinata stumbled back to the Hyuuga compound, somewhat dazed by the series of revelations Kakashi had forced out of them with that stupid spin the kunai game. Their team was messed up – between her quest for vengeance, Sasuke's quest for power and Naruto's for acknowledgement… topped off with a sensei previously known and feared for his prowess in the last Great Ninja War… She resolved to pack, and then sleep, to clear her head. She didn't realise there was another presence in the room until she heard the mewling of the kitten she had gotten for Hanabi. Turning around, she saw Hanabi watching her, with those large, round eyes, a thumb in her mouth, though she popped it out when she saw that Hinata was watching her.

"Aneki… are you going somewhere?" Hinata could hear the anxiety leaking out of her sister's attempt to be casual. She did _not_ need to deal with this now – not another of Hanabi's temper tantrums.

"I have a mission, Hanabi. I will be gone for a few weeks." Hanabi cast her eyes to the floor, and began chewing her lip. Hinata turned back to her pack, checking off the items as she packed them.

_Razor-Wire, check. 6 kunai, check. 6 reserve kunai, check. 20 shuriken, check. 15-_

"Aneki?" Hanabi sounded determined now, and Hinata groaned. She wouldn't be able to brush her off now. She'd have to listen to whatever foolish anecdote her sister had, before ordering her to bed.

"Yes, Hanabi?" Hinata gritted her teeth, and half turned.

"You can't go!" Hanabi almost screamed, and launched herself at her elder sister. Hinata, stunned, only barely reacted in time to catch the two tiny hands coming in for Jyuuken strikes. The tenketsu in her right forearm were still hit, and Hinata hissed with pain as they were sealed.

"Hanabi!" she warned, but her sister struggled in her grip, slippery as an eel, and wrenched free, before spinning to strike again. This time, Hinata was prepared, dodging aside before delivering a strike, without Jyuuken, into her sister's side. Hanabi slipped, but turned her fall into a flip, and then leapt at Hinata again. There was no attempt at Jyuuken this time, she just tried to overpower her, a mockery of the hug she had given her on the night Hinata gave her the kitten.

"I won't let you go, Aneki!" Hanabi said, and Hinata noted that she was _crying_, crying whilst trying to overpower her sister, five years older than her. "I won't let you go!" Hinata managed to break her sister's vice-grip around her waist, and as Hanabi tried to grab one arm, digging into the wrist with nails sharp enough to bleed, Hinata struck with the other, again without Jyuuken, sending Hanabi skidding back. The youngest Hyuuga tried to glare, but the effect was spoiled by the tears trickling down her face. Somewhat shakily, she settled into a Jyuuken stance, blocking the door with her tiny body.

"I won't let you go," she repeated, and Hinata frowned again. _Why?_ _Why was Hanabi being so stubborn?_

"Why not?" she said, and settled into her own Jyuuken stance.

"You're _Aneki! _You're Aneki, _and_ Ka-San! You're _family_, and… and… Hyuugas need to stick together, like you said, and… and… I love you!" _There was that word again… Love… Ka-San?_

"You need to find friends," she said, fully aware of her own hypocrisy. _It is different. I don't need friends, not yet. Hanabi _does

"No! No I don't! All I need is Aneki and Niisan!" Hanabi shook her head. "That's all I need, and I won't let you go away!" Hinata fairly shook with anger. She could disable Hanabi – it may be difficult, but she could do so, seal her tenketsu and walk away. But something within her said that that wasn't a good idea, and decided on a different course of action.

Hinata knelt, and held out both arms. Hanabi immediately dropped her stance, and wavered for a moment, before rushing towards her, screaming and sniffling. "I-love-you-I-love-you-I-love-you-_Aneki!_" She wrapped herself around Hinata again, crying into her shoulder, wiping her runny nose with her sleeve. Hinata leant close, her lips close to her sister's ear, her hands meeting at the back of Hanabi's neck.

"I won't be gone long," she whispered, and as Hanabi realised it was a trap, and stiffened, Hinata pinched a pressure point, and Hanabi went limp. That would keep her until she was gone, Hinata decided, and lifted her sister, who seemed to weigh almost nothing, carrying her to her bed.

_She called me Ka-San…_

Hinata-Chan the cat mewled, and followed her ankles, pawing at them occasionally. Hinata ignored the cat, laid her sister in her bed and pulled the covers over her.

"_And if you do something bad? She doesn't get mad, does she?"_

Hinata-Chan leapt onto the bed, and, purring, sniffed all around Hanabi's face, before licking the tears up with a rough tongue, before turning its attentions to Hinata's cut.

"_No… No she doesn't… A mother… comforts you, when you're unhappy…"_

A mother… Hinata slowly bent over Hanabi, who looked so… _peaceful_ and yet so _unhappy._ She placed a hand over Hanabi's head, stroked her bangs aside, and then kissed her on the forehead.

"I won't be gone long," she repeated.

"Hinata-Sama?" Hinata jumped, then whipped around. Neji was standing there, her _other_ relative. How long had he been spying? What else had he seen?

"Hinata-Sama, are you alright?" Hinata could see the silent implications – Neji judging her, as he always did.

"Fine. I…" she was _furious_. Furious that he had seen her in a moment of weakness. "I will be going on a long mission. I simply said goodbye to Hanabi." _And that is all I did_, she added silently. Neji relaxed a bit, leaning on his crutch. _How did he get that?_

"At least she will not be alone – I will be consigned to the compound for a week – Chakra Exhaustion. I will look after Hanabi until you return."

"Yes, you will. Guard her with your life." Hinata stepped close and hissed –"She is worth far more to me than you are." Then she stepped around him, and left the building. She couldn't stay here – not even for the night – not with Neji near. _Damn_ him! Couldn't he just let her and Hanabi _be?_

It was only when she'd left the Hyuuga Compound that she realised she didn't have anywhere else to go. _She didn't have friends to call on._ Well… Not the Uchiha, that was for certain. She would rather die than walk into the midst of men that decided her fate for her. She didn't even know where Kakashi lived, so that left Tenten and… Naruto. What was it the Ramen girl had said? _Apartment 10 in the South Riverside District_. Normally, the dwellings around the river were high quality – but where the river tapered off was where the dregs of Konoha ended up. _Why would Naruto choose to live in such a place?_

Tenten was a slightly more attractive choice, but for some reason, her non-shinobi parents were wary of her, and she had even caught the mother making the ward against evil behind her back. Tenten had apologised of course, saying that they were just superstitious, and that Hinata's Byakugan scared them. Still, being amongst them would be almost as bad as being near Neji. Mind made up, Hinata strode towards the Riverside District.

--

The Uchiha Compound was full of activity – one shift of military police was ending, and another was beginning. Sasuke walked in with the incoming group.

"Hey, Sasuke! How's your team!" Uchiha Shisui grinned as he came up alongside his cousin.

"They're fine, Shisui-Itoko."

"Nah, Sasuke, you don't have to be so formal around me – just 'cause Itachi-Niisan is doesn't mean I am, y'know?"

"Of course, Shisui-Itoko." Shisui frowned a bit, but then his face returned to a smile.

"You're just like Itachi; you know how to wind me up alright, Sasuke. Hey, how's the Hyuuga?"

"She's still a bitch." _Hn, 'friends'. She's just as bad as me, worse even. I want to surpass Itachi, she wants to kill Hizashi. Fucking Hyuuga hypocrite._

"Oh? Well, bad news for you, then."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sasuke glared at his cousin, who had donned his trademark sly grin. 

"You didn't hear? Fugaku-Sama's changed the betrothal. _You're_ marrying that bitch." Sasuke froze. "Yep. Itachi's too good, Fugaku-Sama says. He's not wasting his heir on her." 

_Aniki's leftovers…_ Sasuke barged past Shisui, who scowled, and then went straight to his room, flinging open the screen door…

"Sasuke." Sasuke glared at the intruder in his room, and Itachi rose from his seat.

"What are you doing here?"

"You have heard of the change, have you not?"

"Yeah – you get off scot-free, and I pick up the pieces. What's new, Aniki?" He didn't even try to hide his anger.

"'What's new', Ototou, is that I do not wish for you to harm this Hinata." Sasuke literally gaped. _Itachi_, asking _him_ not to hurt someone? "The Hyuuga clan… will be useful to me, and Hinata more so than any other."

"What if I _do_ hurt her?" Sasuke recovered some of his earlier confidence, buoyed mostly on anger. _How dare _he_ lay conditions on _me!

"If you do… I will know. I do not like my orders being disregarded, Sasuke." Of course not.

"So, Aniki, planning to get drunk again?" Sasuke didn't know why he baited Itachi so much, taunted him when he was so obviously _stronger_.

"Pack your things, Ototou, and think on what I have said. If you hurt her… I will hurt you."

"Why!?" Sasuke shouted at his brother's retreating back. "Why do you _care_ about her!?" Itachi glanced back over his shoulder, and Sasuke could have sworn he saw a brief hint of a smile.

"She is like you – she is like me. _That_ is why." Sasuke stared at him.

"She's _nothing_ like me, and I'm _nothing_ like you!" he screeched, and Itachi turned again, his smile evident.

"You have a mission with her – I was on guard when Hokage-Sama assigned it to you. I will talk with you once your mission is complete, and we will see then."

He walked away after that, and Sasuke went to throw kunai. He needed the stress-relief.

Mikoto found him there, and he barely noticed her presence at first, and it was only when she got close enough for him to _smell _her that he turned.

"Sasuke," she said quietly, almost in a whisper. She'd whispered ever since Fugaku had first hit her, and Sasuke loathed his father for that – turning a woman with a purely musical voice into a quiet, almost voiceless creature.

"Mikoto." He briefly acknowledged her, then turned back to throwing kunai. She was not the same woman he had loved more than himself. She was not the same woman that kissed away his tears and soothed away his fears. This was not Ka-San.

"Sasuke… I still see my little boy there, but he's hidden now." He turned again, curious rather than anything else. "You've become such a _big_ boy, Sasuke… But you still keep yourself small." _What does that mean?_

"I am big, Mikoto. It's the only way I can become strong. _Remember?_" He was both pleased and sickened to see her flinch, and even as part of him congratulated himself, the other recoiled.

"Oh, Sasuke… You hate me…" _No! That's not what you're supposed to say!_

"Of course I don't. I just don't care anymore, one way or the other." _That's not what _you're_ supposed to say, either!_

"If you didn't care, you would have left by now, Sasuke. I can see that you still do – that's why I still see my little boy there." _I didn't leave… because _you're_ not strong enough to._

"I didn't leave because I'm not strong enough to," he said. "When I'm strong enough to defeat Itachi, then I'll leave, just to see Fugaku _acknowledge_ me."

"Do you know… Strength is a strange thing, Sasuke. I was not the strongest in my Genin team. The strongest one in my team always said that I was, in my own way, stronger than him." Mikoto smiled slightly at past memories – happy memories.

"Then he must have been weak."

"He was Namikaze Minato – Yondaime Hokage." Sasuke froze, fumbled his kunai, and nicked his thumb. Mikoto immediately rushed to him. "Sasuke… I'll fix it."

"I'm fine," he snapped, and sucked on the blood, glaring at her.

"Oh, Sasuke… You don't _understand_. You say you want to be strong – that's _all_ you say, but you _won't_ be, until you realise what strength _is_."

"Oh, and what is it, Mikoto?"

"That… You'll have to find out yourself, but it was the one thing that made Minato-Kun strong enough to become Hokage, and the one thing that made the third member of our team turn out the way he did."

"Hn." Sasuke tried to throw another kunai, but didn't – his aim wouldn't improve, his focus was broken. He threw it into the ground by his feet.

"I've been told you have a C-Ranked mission. I have a good feeling, Sasuke, that you will learn what true strength is. And then… perhaps I can see the little boy that loved me again."

Sasuke walked away without another word. It would have been too painful otherwise.

--

Naruto dug through piles of nicked kunai and rusty shuriken – the only ones that he'd been able to buy, and for prices that bordered on the extortionate. He cursed as he cut the side of his hand on one shuriken, and rinsed it off in the sink, before hurling as many kunai and shuriken into his pack as possible, along with a few spare changes of underwear.

"That'll do it!" he exclaimed, and turned to dinner, Ramen as usual. As he ate, he contemplated the events of the day. His spin-the-kunai game had actually gone pretty well, all said and done. Kakashi-Sensei was pretty smart, behind that lazy exterior; Sasuke-Teme actually showed _why_ he was a Teme… and Naruto was sure that with help he could be fixed, so he wasn't a Teme anymore. The big breakthrough was, as always, with Hinata. _She was considering him as a friend!_ Of course, Naruto had considered her a friend since he'd first met her and Tenten, both fellow orphans, but Hinata had never been _this_ close to him. Besides, if they were going to be friends, then they were going to work together better, and get even better! Yep, life was good! He sighed as he finished the last of the Ramen, and leant back, balancing on his stool.

He did not expect the knock on his door, and toppled over, smacking his head on the floor.

"Owww!" he fell into a stream of cursing until the pain faded enough to think, and then realised that the knocking had gotten louder, more urgent. "Coming!" he called, and limped over to the door, rubbing his throbbing head. He opened the door, though kept it on its chain. It wouldn't be the first time that some drunk had decided to take out his anger on the "demon brat". "Yeah, who's there!" he snarled, and then backed off as someone glared back at him.

"Naruto, I was knocking for almost a minute," Hinata snapped at him. "Open the door before I break it in two."

"Hai, hai…" Naruto closed the door, then unlocked it and opened it again. Hinata hit him as he opened it, and Naruto swore loudly. "What was that for, Hinata!?"

"You closed the door on me." Hinata was already looking around his apartment.

"Yeah, I had to, to unlock it. What, don't you know what a _lock_ is?" Hinata looked puzzled.

"We don't need them. _Nobody_ steals from the Hyuuga."

"Yeah, well I'm not a Hyuuga, am I? I'm just Naruto, the 'demon brat'." 

"Demon brat?" Naruto gulped as he realised he'd said too much. Only Kakashi-Sensei knew he was the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki… Oh crap! If he told Hinata, she'd never talk to him again – she'd be like the other villagers, who only saw the demon, not Naruto.

"Ah, it's nothing, Heh-Heh-Heh." He scratched the back of his head, and hoped she let it slide. She did, though not wholly convinced.

"Hmm… So this is your home." She considered her inspection. 

"Yeah, I kinda told you it was a dump… Why're you here anyway, Hinata?"

"I can't stay in the Hyuuga Compound tonight."

"Huh? Why not? You're the Hyuuga head, ain't ya?"

"I can't, Naruto," she said, and her tone all but _ordered_ him to drop it. He did so, just because she'd dropped the 'Demon Brat' topic.

"So, what? You want to sleep here or something?" He saw her flinch.

"Yes, I suppose… Do you have a sleeping bag?"

"Yeah, I do." Naruto indicated a wardrobe that was more a hole in the wall with a few planks of wood nailed over it.

"Then I will sleep in it tonight. Tomorrow we have to go on the mission."

"Ne, Hinata? It's not too comfortable…" Naruto began, as Hinata pulled out a tattered sack, damp and cold.

"You don't say… Well, do you at least have a serviceable blanket? I'll sleep on your sofa, if it has to come to it."

"Ah! No, no, you can take my bed! I'll sleep on the sofa!" Naruto grinned as Hinata blinked.

"Why, is there something wrong with the bed?"

"No, but you're the lady here – I should be looking out for you." Naruto meant it, of course. What better way to show you were committed to the team than self-sacrifice? Hinata's eyes narrowed. _How did she take offence at that?_

"This is your home. I will not throw you out of your bed." Hinata said in reply.

"No way, Hinata, I'm sleeping on the sofa!"

"Naruto, _I_ will." Hinata matched his look with a glare of her own, and their equally indomitable wills clashed.

"Hinata, I'm being a gentleman."

"And I'm being a polite guest. It is your bed, you will sleep in it." Both Genin growled, Naruto literally, and then he snorted.

"It's big enough. If you're going to be so god-damned stubborn, we'll _share_ it." He was puzzled to see Hinata flinch when he said share.

"Naruto… You do realise what you're saying?"

"Tsk, yeah I do. I'll put a pillow between us or something, if you're so concerned, but you know I'm not a pervert like Kakashi-Sensei." Hinata somehow managed to find something at fault with that statement, and scowled.

"Don't be stupid. I slept in the same bed as Neji for three years…" she trailed off as she realised what she'd said, and then her scowl deepened. "If you try anything, I'll kill you."

"Hey, I offered to sleep on the sofa." Naruto said and shrugged.

"If you leave the bed, I'll count that as 'trying something', just so you know. Don't go trying to sneak out when I'm asleep."

"Huh. I still think we should have gone to your house, Hinata-_Hime_."

"… If you call me that again, I really _will_ kill you." Naruto paled, and he nodded.

"H-Hai, Hinata," he said, and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and change into pyjamas.

"Oh, and Naruto?" he turned, and Hinata smiled.

"If you tell Sasuke about this…"

"… You'll kill me, I get it. Not like I'd tell that Teme anyway."

"Thank you, Naruto. Hinata almost, _almost_ blushed, but admonished herself. Nothing was going to happen – she was just staying over at a… comrade suddenly seemed inappropriate. She was staying over at a _friend's_ house. In the morning, they'd be going on a mission, and they'd never speak of this again. _Just like you'd never speak of Neji again?_

This time she did blush. What possessed her to tell Naruto about that? She hoped the blonde forgot – any memories of a time when she felt anything other than dislike for Neji left a bitter taste in her mouth.

She brooded until Naruto returned from his bathroom, still brushing his teeth, and waved for her to go in.

The bathroom was just as dirty and decrepit as the rest of Naruto's apartment, and in many cases even worse – the shower seemed to have sprung a leak, judging by the large wet patch around it, and nobody had bothered to fix it. _How can he live in such a place?_ She hadn't brought her own toiletries – hadn't had time to, so resigned herself to merely rinsing her mouth instead of brushing her teeth, before storming out.

"Ne, Hinata?" She glanced over at Naruto, who was busy taking cushions from his tattered sofa to line his bed with.

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Um… Don't you have pyjamas?" He was blushing, and Hinata sighed. She hadn't had time to grab any from the Hyuuga compound, and it would ruin the whole point of things if she returned there.

"I usually sleep with just a shirt and pants," she lied, and Naruto grew even redder. It was almost cute.

"If… if you say so, Hinata… Um… You don't… _kick_ in your sleep, do you?" A brief image of the idiot servants Hokage-Sama had hired for the Hyuuga all those years ago popped into her head – more specifically, an image of her using Jyuuken on those that woke her up.

"No, Naruto-Baka, I _don't_ kick." She rolled her eyes as well, and saw him visibly relax _Why? You're not some weakling civilian – you'll survive _if_ I lose control._

"Hey, no fair! How come you get to call me 'Naruto-Baka', but I can't call you anything, huh?" Another roll of the eyes.

"Hmm… you can always call me Hinata-_Sama_, if you feel like it," she said, and put on a smile.

"What? Not a chance in hell, Hyuuga-Baka!" he stuck out her tongue at her, and she suppressed a giggle.

"That's supposed to hurt, _Dobe?"_

"_Dobe!? _Sasuke-Teme calls me that all the time – that won't stop me, Hinata-_Hime!" _He was grinning, and somehow, it _felt_ right to grin back.

"Oh, that's _it_," she answered with mock-severity, as she marched towards Naruto's bed. He started to laugh, until Hinata bopped him on the head. Then he stopped abruptly, and Hinata froze. _Had she gone too far?_ _She actually hadn't_ meant_ for that to hurt._

"Naruto?" she said, much quieter than before, after the silence continued for another few minutes. And, just as suddenly, Naruto was roaring with laughter.

"Hah! Got you, Hinata-Hime! Hahaha!" She smiled, shortly before slipping into bed. Naruto followed suit, and after a brief tussle over the blanket, both just stared at the ceiling, and Naruto moved to turn off the light.

"Naruto…"

"Hmm? Yes, Hinata?" Naruto paused, and craned his head over his shoulder.

"I was thinking, about what you said earlier – about family."

_This was what she used to do with Neji… that was why she'd thought of him._

"And?" Naruto couldn't entirely keep the anxiety from his voice.

"I think this… it might just _work_." _Was it ever this fun with Neji, in the time when they had been just two, small, scared children? She couldn't quite remember, didn't _want_ to remember. He was not, and never again would be, in the position she had let him in previously… the position Naruto seemed to be taking._

"Arigatou…" she heard the quiver in his voice, glanced sideways. _Naruto_… he was almost _crying_… "Arigatou, Hinata… I've… I've never had a friend like _you_ before… never had a _sister_." He looked over at her, and smiled. "This is gonna be the _best_ team ever."

"Yes… yes it will," Hinata said, and smiled, before Naruto turned out the light.

--

_Earlier that Day:_

"Hah, Neji, that was ingenious! I did not think you could perfect such a technique!" Gai gave a thumbs up to the near-unconscious Hyuuga, who was currently being supported by his team-mates. Neji managed to glance at his sensei wearily, but seemed incapable of anything more exertive.

"Neji, I must train even harder now, to match your technique… But I will defeat you yet!" Tenten tsked at Lee's words.

"Leave Neji alone, guys – you nearly killed him with that 'training.'" Tenten gave a half-hearted glare at her team-mate and sensei, before turning her attention back to Neji, adopting a concerned face. Neji gave her a weak half-smile, and then frowned as she blushed. Suddenly she was entirely too close for comfort, despite not having moved.

_Tenten…_

"I… can walk… from here…" he grunted, and waved off the protests of Tenten. He loved the sisterly Tenten, the cousin Tenten, but he could not love the Tenten that sought to be something else, something more. _I don't think of her that way._

He managed to take three steps before his legs collapsed underneath him. _Chakra Exhaustion…_ He almost hit the floor, before someone caught him. He turned his head, slowly, painfully, and blanched. Tenten's face was inches from his own, and it struck him that he had never been this close to her before.

She was pretty, in a tomboyish sort of way – cheeks still flushed from her blush; brown eyes, rich and dark, and filled with concern. _I don't think of her that way!_

"Neji?" she said, quietly, but it seemed to echo, and he couldn't think…

"Neji, you must rest!" Lee, of course, came between them, and lifted Neji effortlessly, slinging him over a shoulder. Tenten seemed a little put out, but Neji silently praised Fate. That little moment was _too_ awkward.

"Lee is right, Neji! You must rest until you recover – do not come to training for at least a week!" Neji silently thanked Fate once more – _Tenten…_ He could not bring himself to look at her, as Lee raced into the Hyuuga Compound.

"Lee… I can make it from here…" Neji had no wish for Hinata to see him this weak, supported by Lee, who she already saw as weak.

"But Neji…" Neji sighed, but he knew exactly how to persuade Lee.

"I do not want you to harm your own training for my sake," he said with mock-severity. "I will be fine, Lee." The spandex-clad Genin hesitated a moment, then set Neji down. His legs were still wobbly, but he'd be able to walk far enough to find a support of some sort. He waited until Lee was gone, before he hobbled into the Hyuuga Main House. As he predicted, his legs failed him, but he clutched at a clothes-stand, and held on until his legs stopped shaking. There was a cane hanging from one of the hooks, and Neji smiled, before taking that to aid his walking. He paused outside Hanabi's room, hearing sounds there, and hesitated before shuffling in. He froze as he took in the scene before him – Hanabi, asleep in her bed, her kitten curled up at her feet, and Hinata, _Hinata_ of all people, stroking her sister's hair, before slowly bending down and planting a kiss on her forehead. _Hinata-Sama… _He was reminded, unwillingly, of the similar scene he witnessed the night before – of Hinata hugging her sister close. _Was this still an illusion? Was she still trying to use Hanabi? What would be gained from doing so whilst she is asleep? Unless Hinata-Sama means to fool herself as well._

"Hinata-Sama?" Neji said, unsure of what to do – was this an illusion, a dream? Hinata whipped about, eyes wide, angry and frightened, and the two just stood there, gazes locked.

"Hinata-Sama, are you alright?" Neji was unsure of exactly what to say.

"Fine. I…" she was furious, he could see. Furious that he had seen her in a tender moment. "I will be going on a long mission. I simply said goodbye to Hanabi." _And that is all I did_, she added silently.

"At least she will not be alone – I will be consigned to the compound for a week – Chakra Exhaustion. I will look after Hanabi until you return."

"Yes, you will. Guard her with your life." Hinata stepped close and hissed –"She is worth far more to me than you are." Then she stepped around him, and left the building, left Neji alone with his thoughts.

He looked at Hanabi, and hobbled over, before tracing a bandaged hand over the area his cousin had just kissed. He was a Hyuuga – a dutiful Hyuuga, but he _hated_ it so much. He was a cousin, an unwelcomed cousin, but he _wanted_ to be, so very much. And no matter how much Hanabi reminded him of the young Hinata – kind, gentle, innocent – she was not, and even her acceptance of him was but a pale shadow of what he truly wanted. Running a hand through her inky hair, Neji parted his lips, and almost called her Hinata, but then Hanabi stirred in her sleep and whimpered for Aneki, and Neji was shaken out of his longing. He sighed, and stepped back, past the alert eyes of the kitten as it watched the man who was so close to its mistress. Neji reached out a hand to stroke it, but the cat shied away, and Neji left – there was nothing else to do there.

He limped to his room, now cursing the fact that he would be confined here for a week, and made to open the screen door, before stopping. There was someone in here! And as weak as he was, he would be unable to defeat them if they were a shinobi… He saw the shadow through the screen door stiffen, and his breath caught in his throat – _they've seen me!_ Should he wake Hanabi? Should he… a hand reached behind his back, drew a kunai from a pouch.

"Neji-Sama?" he paused again as the shadow spoke, with a female voice. Neji-_Sama_? _No! Don't underestimate her!_

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" he shifted the cane to his armpit, reached for the screen door with his free hand, whilst getting ready to throw the kunai.

"My name… My name is Haku, Neji-Sama. Hizashi-Sama sent me – with a message…" Neji froze, his kunai dropping from nerveless fingers. Tou-San… He flung the door open, glared at the girl standing there.

"You… Hizashi… Why are you here?" Too many questions pressed at him, demanding answers. A quick check with Byakugan revealed hidden weapons – needles in the hem of her kimono, kunai in the belt underneath – and more needles hidden in her chocolate-brown hair.

"Hizashi-Sama saved my life, and sent me here, to serve you, Neji-Sama. He gave me this scroll, and wanted me to tell you to control your destiny. And… and… Hizashi-Sama told me to bear your children…" She closed her eyes, took a breath.

"He… he what?" Neji began, and he fell back into a chair, cutting off Haku before she repeated herself. "Give me the scroll," he decided, and Haku nodded, and handed it to him, before taking a position standing by his right. He did not complain, attention focused on the scroll. A message from his father. Hinata-Sama would want him to burn it, and a good Hyuuga obeyed the Head. _'Shouldn't people's duty be to their family?'_ Which family was his duty to?

Slowly, both anxious and fearful to read its contents, Neji unfurled the scroll, knowing immediately that it was Hizashi's handwriting – as familiar to him as his own.

"_Neji, it has been long since we last spoke – years, but you are still in my thoughts. You were but a child when I last saw you; when I set you free, but now you are a man, and it is time you claimed what is rightfully yours. I have worked hard for all these years, paving the way for you to bring the Hyuuga to their rightful place as the strongest of clans – not only in Konoha but in the entire world. Haku will serve you in this, and others will join you – use them as you would but please, my son, do not waste them. Haku should have relayed to you my instructions for her, and in addition is the bearer of a rare Kekkei Genkai. I leave the choice to you, Neji, whether to use her or not, so long as you realise, most importantly, that it is your choice, your decision, and no-one's else. It is your fate, after all, and you control your own destiny – I may only give you suggestions."_

_Hizashi_

Neji rolled the scroll back up, and looked at Haku, who looked back silently. Neji broke the staring contest first, and began to pace around the room with his crutch, whilst Haku watched in dutiful silence.

"Are you happy with this?" he said at last, and Haku hesitated. "Is this how you wish to live your life – at the whims of others?"

"Hizashi-Sama saved my life, just as Zabuza-Sama did. I had to repay them… but I could not save Zabuza-Sama, so I must do what Hizashi-Sama commands, without hesitation, Neji-Sama." She had kept her eyes downcast, but raised them as she finished speaking, to look Neji in the eye.

"And me? I didn't save your life."

"Hizashi-Sama commanded me to serve you, Neji-Sama."

"But do you want to?" Haku's eyes flickered down again.

"What I want does not matter – I do what I must, Neji-Sama." _Just like me._

"Fate decreed that you came to me in this manner, but if, as Hizashi so wishes me to, I control my own destiny, then I can free you, right now. Is that what you want?" He was shocked to see fear flit across the hazel-brown eyes of the girl. _Beautiful eyes_.

"Don't…" she whispered. "Don't do that, please, Neji-Sama…"

"But why? Why would you want to be someone's servant?" Haku kept her eyes firmly to the floor.

"It is what I am, Neji-Sama. I am a tool – my life belongs to Hizashi-Sama… to you, Neji-Sama. But… if you were to set me free, and force me out of this house, I would be nothing. I do not know this village, I do not know its people. I would only burden others. I would… rather be useful to you, Neji-Sama, than be a burden on others." She gulped, and lifted her eyes again, a new determination in them. "Please, Neji-Sama, let me be useful to you."

Neji tried to say no; he _knew_ that no matter what Haku said, it was not the right viewpoint for a normal person; he _knew_ that he was loyal to Hinata-Sama, not to his own desires and _especially_ not to Hizashi's schemes; he _knew_ that she could not live here anyway, not after the manner she came to Konoha, and the man who delivered her here. She must have read the decision in her face, because she looked down again as Neji hobbled over to her. He cupped a cheek in his hand, and tilted her head up until she was looking him in the eyes once more.

"If… if you are going to serve me, I have two orders – first, look me in the eyes, _always_, and second, never hesitate to tell me the truth." He paused, then added. "And don't mention Hizashi, even when we are alone. Call him 'Tou-San'. There are others in this house, who hate him."

"Hai, Neji-Sama," she said, and smiled. Off-handedly, Neji decided that the expression made her seem far more beautiful.

"I… I won't do anything you don't want me to, Haku," Neji said. You can stay in this room until Hinata-Sama returns, then we will have to find you your own room." _That is, _if_ Hinata-Sama allows this to continue… I will ask just this _one_ thing of her – she _must_ say yes._ He didn't want to think of what it would mean if she said no – he would have to make a choice between his two families.

Somewhat awkwardly, he embraced her, but made no further move.

_You control your own destiny._ He did not have to follow what Hizashi wished him to do.

_You control your own destiny._ He did not have to do as Hinata-Sama wished him to do.

_You control your own destiny._ He chose what to do with Haku; nobody else. _Was this your lesson, Tou-San? Was this why you sent her?_

He pushed down the hands that tried to open his robe, and when Haku looked down, he lifted her chin until her eyes met his own.

"You need to rest," he said, and smiled. "Tomorrow… we will see where we are then." _We will all see._

**A/N:**

**Character Development galore, as well as hints of an unspoken relationship between Neji and Hinata. Next time the nature of the C-Class mission will be revealed, and a new character as well as some OCs (just out of necessity) will be introduced. Still no relationships/pairings, just in case people took certain scenes the wrong way. I also tried experimenting with Hinata and Neji's rather different reactions to the same event, and tried to overall make things more complicated with Sasuke's belief that Hinata's just a hypocrite, and is using Naruto rather than reaching out to him.**

**As always, reviews are welcomed (In particular, did I write a believable Haku?)**

**Until next time, Subutai's Ghost**

**EDIT: Slightly re-touched the chapter with Random Person's feedback (again).**


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7-Team 7/Neji

**A/N: Wow! Many, many thanks to my Beta for their comments on this chapter - it is _much _improved over its original form - and I think I'm finally getting the hang of Show vs. Tell. So yeah - many, many thanks to Heronite/White Heron, I couldn't have done this without your help. So, here is the new and improved Chapter 7!**

**Even to those who have already read this chapter, I'd suggest that you read it again, especially the parts dealing with Neji, whose characterisation has been completely re-done. He'll still be different from Canon Neji, but different also from the way he's been shown thus far.**

**EDIT: Forgot about answering reviews for a moment, there:**

**kanochan: Yes, Haku is a girl. There may or may not be feelings between Haku and Neji, depending on how I feel when I write a chapter with them in. Neji's feelings about Hinata... are only going to be hinted at for the moment, and vice versa.**

**MissNaye: I make no promises about NaruHina, but it may possibly happen.**

**rcr: Hinata's reaction to Haku being there is something I'm already writing.**

**Edge-Keen Blade: Thanks very much!**

**LiMiYa: Thanks, I have been trying to make Hinata complex, as opposed to Canon Sasuke's character.**

Chapter 7-Hinata/Neji/Naruto/Sasuke

Naruto woke up to the frenzied ringing of his alarm clock, and sat up, only to fall back as something hit him under the chin – hard. He fell back, and swore.

_An attack?_ He reached out, grabbed something that felt like an arm, and then something that could have been a leg. His quarry rolled over, and the two fell out of bed in a tangle of limbs, knocking the alarm to the floor, where it smashed. Somewhere in the hushed silence that followed, Naruto looked breathlessly at the person covered in blankets, and a single unobscured, pupil-less eye glared back at him.

"What are you doing, Baka?" Hinata said, voice muffled by the blankets.

"You hit me _again_! Why'd you do that!?" _Why's she always blaming me?_

"I thought you were attacking me!" Hinata snapped, and wrenched her limbs free, shrugging off the blankets and standing. Unobscured, Naruto could see the flush on her face.

"Don't you know what an alarm is!? Don't you Hyuugas have _anything_?" He rose, clad only in pyjamas.

"I'm a light sleeper! I don't _need_ an alarm! _You_ shouldn't either!" She resumed glaring, but somehow didn't seem so intimidating in only a shirt and pants… Naruto forced himself to look up, and tried desperately to keep the blush from his face.

"Tsk, well it's five… we have an hour to get ready before meeting at the stone." Naruto glanced at his irreparably damaged alarm, and decided that only breakfast could stop his temper from getting any worse.

"Hmm… what do you have to eat?" Naruto brightened up immediately; if there was _one_ thing that could put a grumpy person in a good mood, it was a good breakfast!

"Ah, there's plenty of choice!" He raced over to the true few cupboards in his apartment, and flung them open eagerly. Contained inside were row upon row of cups of instant ramen – organised by flavour, in alphabetical order. He spent the better part of the "allowance" he got from Ojii-San Hokage on ramen – best food on earth – and Iruka-Sensei said he'd become like a… conna… conna… connasur, or something like that, a connasur of Ramen, and it was so affordable, too! When he went to buy ninja equipment, or anything else, for that matter, things always seemed so _expensive_, but Ichiraku-San even gave him discounts, since Naruto was his best customer. He'd figured out a couple of years ago that he could buy about sixty cups of Ramen a month with his allowance, but could only pay for one or two meals anywhere else… Didn't matter, though, since Ichiraku's Ramen was the _best_, so he didn't _need_ anything else. He noticed that Hinata was still staring, and smiled quickly – this should cheer her up!

"I've got Ramen, of _every_ flavour!" he said happily, and took out a Miso Pork Instant Ramen for himself. "What do you want, Hinata?" The Hyuuga looked at him in complete shock, and Naruto grinned even wider – she was probably just shocked by all the choice… yeah, that _must _be it – no sane person would turn down Ichiraku's, especially not Ichiraku's made _specially_ for him.

"I… I'll pass," she said, and Naruto's jaw dropped. After a moment, Hinata looked away from him, and Naruto's open-mouthed astonishment turned into a petulant pout. Fine. She didn't know what she was missing, anyway! He found his chopsticks sticking out of a previously eaten cup of ramen, and was just about to start eating when someone started banging on the door, very loudly.

"Damned Demon Brat! You woke me up! Bad enough that you chased off my other tenants – you can't even let me sleep properly! Open the door!" Naruto paled. _Did he just say Demon Brat? Oh crap! _A quick panicked glance to Hinata, but she didn't seem to have changed her expression. _Phew… if she knows about the Kyuubi…_ He didn't want to know what would happen then… He quickly decided to open the door, in case the landlord grew even _angrier_ and screamed that name again.

Quickly, Naruto unlocked the door, and as soon as he had, a short, balding civilian barged in, waving a stick around.

"I don't care _how_ much money the Hokage gives me – you keep this up and I'll throw you out, do you hear?"

"H-Hai, Yasuo-San…" It was better, Naruto had decided long ago, to stay quiet when his landlord ranted at him – after all, no matter what happened, this was better than the orphanage. At least here, there was no chance he'd have his stuff stolen, or miss out on meals, and, aside from Yasuo, there was nobody around to taunt him, and spit at him, and call him "Demon Brat". Within a month of Ojii-San moving him here, all the other tenants of the apartment complex had moved straight out, even the family he'd thought were nice, with the little girl that said he was cute. He received a letter a few weeks afterwards, where they said they _didn't_ think he was a demon, but that it would cause too much trouble for them if they were nice to him.

He never saw them again, and for the longest time, _that_ had been his view of the world – people who thought he was nice stayed away from him, in case _they_ were hated along with him… it was only _later_ that people, first the Ichiraku family, then Iruka-Sensei and Tenten, and now his new team, stayed with him _anyway_, _knowing _that he was hated by everyone else. He sent a panicked glance towards Hinata. If she discovered what was inside him… there was no _way_ he was going to lose the first true friend he'd had, _ever_. Sweat began to bead on his forehead when he realised Hinata was looking _straight at him_, with the kind of look she had when she was trying to figure out a puzzle… _Oh crap! What do I do? She's gonna find out, she's gonna find out, and when she does… what do I do?..._

Yasuo paused in his diatribe, seeing Naruto's attention directed elsewhere, and then turned, noticed Hinata, and squinted at her. She stared straight back, eyes slightly narrowed, like how she looked at Sasuke, and the landlord flinched, before he turned back to Naruto, who tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Who's this? You're not letting other people share your den, are you, demon brat? You'll have to pay extra for that…" he turned, and spoke directly to Hinata. "How long have you stayed here? Obviously not long, or you'd have run away from the demon brat – that or gotten eaten." Naruto looked desperately at her, and mouthed _"it's not true – I swear!"_ All of a sudden, he saw her eyes harden in cold certainty, and shuddered, turned his gaze away ashamedly – she was about to go, just like the little girl and her family; leave and never come back, because even if she'd said they were friends, he was still the demon-brat, and she was the Hyuuga head.

He hung his head in resignation, just waiting for Hinata's voice to break the silence, and with it the few moments of happiness he'd shared with her. It did the former, but, to his shocked surprise, not the latter.

"Naruto is a friend of mine, old man – an old friend, and a better person than you. Apologise." Yasuo stepped back, then paused, eyes bulging out of his head as he searched for the right words to put across his disbelief. Naruto's eyes bulged too – was… Hinata _standing up_ for him?

"What? Are you out of your mind? I'm _never_ apologising to that little demon shi-" Yasuo gaped as Hinata closed the distance between them with a Shunshin. Civilians tended to be amazed at the speed with which shinobi moved.

"Apologise," she repeated. "Or I will _make_ you." Yasuo, backed away, sweating, but managed to force a nervous smile onto his face.

"Sorry, missy, you may be a shinobi, but there's a _law_ against ninja attacking civilians." He laughed, then continued in a more menacing tone of voice. "Now, unless you want me to press charges, I suggest you get off my property." Hinata pretended to consider this, then pushed the man against a wall. "Didn't you hear me!?" he said, desperation entering his voice, and he looked at _Naruto,_ the victim of his anger for so long, for _help_.

"I am the _Hyuuga head_," she hissed. "That means I can _break_ those laws, with sufficient reason. You've threatened me, and insulted my friend – it's your word against mine, and Hokage-Sama will take _my_ side. Do you understand, _vermin_?" Yasuo gulped, eyes fixed on the narrowed Byakugan – and for the first time, Naruto could appreciate truly _how_ scary those eyes were, when the face around them was contorted with chakra coils, and they were focused directly on you.

"S-Sorry, H-Hyuuga-Sama," he said, and tried to smile.

"Don't apologise to me… Apologise to _him_." Hinata threw him at Naruto's feet, and when the blonde Genin looked at her questioningly, she merely nodded.

"S-Sorry… D… N-Naruto…"

"Naruto-_Sama_. That's how you'll address him from now on."

"N-Naruto-Sama… I… a-apologise." Yasuo bit down any further comment.

"Is that okay with you, Naruto?" Naruto nodded absently.

"Yeah… thanks, Hinata…" _What on earth?_ He thought. _When did Hinata get so _scary?

"Then this worm can get out of here, and not bother collecting rent any more." Her eyes narrowed as Yasuo began to protest "It's not a choice, not when _this_…" she aimed a kick at the prone Yasuo, but did not connect. He whimpered. "This _scum_ has been what you came home to for so long."

"Thanks, Hinata?" Naruto tried to puzzle through this – Hinata had switched so quickly from being angry at _him_ to being angry at _Yasuo._

"No problem, Naruto. We are a team, after all. We look out for one another." He chanced a look from Yasuo's retreating form to Hinata, and saw the beginnings of a _smile_ on the face of the Hyuuga head.

"I think… I _will_ have some Ramen, after all," she said, and Naruto's smile soon overtook hers.

--

Sasuke snapped two kicks into the training-dummy, at the ribs and neck, and then switched to using his arms, spinning and delivering a forearm-strike into the opposite side of its neck, and then an elbow into the gut, before finishing off with an elbow strike to the back of the head coupled with a knee-strike to the face. He smirked at his training supervisor – surely they could find no fault with his attack – each blow could incapacitate a grown man.

"Hn. Your footwork is sloppy, Sasuke." Fugaku, wearing his ever-present frown, watched from the doorway. "You show your opponent where you will strike, and expect them to simply be unable to keep up with your speed. If you were to fight _me_, you would fail in seconds… sometimes I wonder whether Mikoto gave me a failure for a second son – Itachi could perform this exercise _perfectly_ at the age of eight." Sasuke gritted his teeth, and stepped back into stance again.

"No, no, no! You're doing it wrong, Sasuke! For Kami-Sama's sake… Do you have _any_ skill?" Sasuke _almost_ snapped, almost turned to fling shuriken at his father, but he _knew_ the old bastard would _want_ that.

"You tell me, Tou-San," he replied, and shifted his stance slightly. To an ordinary ninja it would seem inconsequential, but to the Uchiha clan, it was _perfect._ Of course, for the Uchiha clan, _perfect_ meant normal – it was to be expected from the elite of the elite.

"Loosen the tension in your shoulders; let them hang loose and ready. Hunch your back – the extra momentum will double the force of your blows. Keep your knees bent, ready for attack _or_ defence. I've told you a thousand times, Sasuke! Why do you not learn!? Are you _only_ worth marrying off to the Hyuuga!?" Fugaku was barking at him now, and Sasuke could barely take it. _He's stronger._ That alone stopped him from attacking his father.

"When were you planning on telling _me_ about that, Fugaku? Hmm? When were you planning on telling me that you were marrying me off to Hinata!?" Fugaku's frown deepened.

"Hn. I wasn't, Sasuke. After all, the _last_ time I trusted you with… sensitive information, what did you do with it?" Sasuke opened his mouth to retort, then snapped it shut. Angrily, he delivered another snap-kick, to the dummy's chest. _If it were real, that would splinter ribs_.

"When… when is it going to happen?"

"Heh. Can't _wait_, can you, boy? When you get back from your mission, I'll make sure _everyone_ knows you're engaged, so they can prepare to come and watch my son marry the Hyuuga Head." _That soon?_ Sasuke bit his tongue to avoid making a comment. "Hey, Sasuke." Sasuke glared at his father again. "You don't have to love her, you know. Do what you want with the bitch, just so long as you _marry_ her with a smile." Fugaku grinned, as if to be an example. _Of course… he _would_ want me to follow _that_ example._ He didn't like Hinata, but could he possibly do to her what Fugaku did to Ka-San? His thoughts vanished at the sound of the screen door being slid open.

"I have brought tea, Fugaku-Sama," Mikoto said as she entered, a tray in her hands. Sasuke could see ripples across the dark surface of the cups, and a slight shiver along the tray's surface, and knew that Fugaku would as well. Sure enough, his father's smile disappeared, and his frown deepened even more. Ripples meant that Mikoto had shook – that she had not been _perfect._

"Sasuke, go to your team. Itachi completed his first C-Rank mission at half your age – do not disappoint me further."

"Of course, _Tou-San_," Sasuke spat as he rushed past him, _daring_ him to strike him. He would, when Sasuke returned, of course – or get Itachi to do so for him, but Sasuke no longer cared.

The Uchiha Clan had, in the centre of their compound, a great mechanical clock, made in Kumo, with parts from Iwa, and engineers from Suna. It had cost the Uchiha clan much Ryou, but Fugaku saw it as yet another trophy, yet another mark of Uchiha superiority. At extra cost, he had its makers create the Uchiha fan across the clock's face, with marble and red sandstone. _Half-past five…_ The others would not arrive at the memorial stone for a half-hour… Heck,_ either_ of them would make for at least _decent_ company now; be it the Dobe or the Hyuuga bitch. But he wasn't sure where the Dobe lived…

"Hyuuga it is," he sighed to himself, and stalked from the compound, hoping a stray cat crossed his path so he could kick it.

--

Neji stirred as something warm and soft touched his face, and sleepily half-opened one eye. He saw a hand stiffen, and then slowly relax, before touching his face again, tracing lines over the chakra coils near his eyes, then following the bridge of his nose, and down his left cheek. He felt it trace along a vein in his neck, before the hand took him by the shoulder, and shook him gently.

"Neji-Sama?" _Of course, it was Haku – who else _could_ it have been?_ For a brief moment, though, he thought it was Hinata-Sa… Hinata that was there. He opened both eyes, to see the… not yet familiar sight of Haku leaning over him, and he half-smirked at the thought of what a difference a single day meant – before he had discovered Haku awaiting him in his room, he was… not himself, and now…

Thanks to Haku, he felt that he had finally found an answer: he did not have to obey Hizashi, and he did not have to obey Hinata either.

Yet... he would be lying if he claimed that Haku did not re-ignite long suppressed suspicions – more importantly, the one who had _sent_ Haku. Seven years – _seven years_, and Hizashi had re-appeared, the malignant force that sent this girl, so forcibly certain that she was a _servant_. Seven years, and Neji's father had returned, to give him a _gift_.

_"It's all your fault! He did it all for you!"_

Neji closed his eyes and tried to block out the memories of his cousin's tearful face. When Hizashi had not come back, it had been easy to deny that it was for his sake. Easy to pretend that his father did it for some other selfish, mysterious reason, or even for insanity, anything but for him, his son. And for the longest time, there was no more news of his father. Deep down Neji secretly hoped that he'd never have to confront his father on the matter, that he'd have to face a truth he could not bear to hear.

But then, Haku showed up. Even though he planned on keeping her true origin a secret, when he closed his eyes he could imagine Hinata turning those accusing eyes of hers towards him, telling him with her silence that she was right all along, that it was all indeed for him.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Haku, her large brown eyes looking at him with concern.

"Neji-sama, there is a person at the door!"

Neji pushed aside his doubts over his father for now. Right now, there were more pressing issues. First, he had to confront Hinata, so that Haku would be allowed to stay. Neji had thought over the matter over and over again, yet he still couldn't think of what he'd do _should_ Hinata refuse to allow Haku to stay. As much as it pained Neji to admit it, it seemed as if the choice he did not wish to confront had reared itself once more – to choose between Hinata, and his father; do as the Hyuuga Head commanded him, or refuse, and, however unwillingly, partake to the game his father wished him to play.

Haku's confidence in his ability to persuade Hinata to allow her to stay was another worrying point – the girl seemed to believe that he could do _anything._ Whatever Hizashi had done to her, he had truly succeeded in making Haku subservient to his son; over the course of their discussions the past night, Neji had ascertained that she seemed to view him almost as a _god_ – in Haku's eyes, there was no wrong that Neji could possibly do, and though on the one hand this pleased him – made him feel more confident in his mastery of his own fate, it also worried him – reminded him that, even now, he was being influenced by the actions of others; it had been _Hizashi_, after all, that sent Haku to him, and it was Hinata that he would have to convince to allow her to stay.

No… he decided, as he sat up, and swung his feet off the side of his bed, he was not _quite_ as in control as he had thought, not quite as much as he _wished_ to be. And he had no idea as to _how_ he would achieve that control – of course he could refuse Hinata completely, alienating her in the process, but that ran _opposite_ to what he wanted… He was still unsure, yet, exactly _what_ he wanted, but knew that it contained his cousins, and _acceptance_, neither of which would be achieved should he ignore Hinata. There were… simply too many variables, at the moment, and he had not yet had enough time to think on it, and add the variable of Haku into the mix. He glanced again at the girl that had his father had sent, and seeing the concern in her chocolate-coloured eyes, smiled.

"Thank you, Haku, but I must ask you to remain here, until I settle things with Hinata." Then he left his room, missing Haku's flinch.

"But… it was a _boy,_ Neji-Sama…" Haku whispered after him, just too late.

--

Neji put his hand on the doorknob, expecting to see Hinata – and prepared himself to speak the words he had been preparing since she left. _I no longer wish to serve you, Hinata._ Opening the door, he opened his mouth to speak, but stopped. It was _not_ Hinata here, but the Uchiha, Sasuke, hands in pockets. He did not look pleased to be here either.

"Hn. Where's Hinata?"

"She is not here, Uchiha-San." Neji began to close the door, but Sasuke jammed his foot in the crack, and scowled. Neji matched it, and activated his Byakugan – he was _not_ in the right mood to bandy words with an Uchiha.

"Do you know where she is?" The Uchiha kept his face locked in a sneering glare, but beneath the skin, Neji could see the subtle interplay of muscles, the rhythm of the Uchiha's heart, and smirked inwardly. This was at least one area where the Byakugan surpassed the Sharingan – he could see _underneath the underneath_, see what a person said, and then what they _meant_. Right now, Sasuke seemed almost _needy_ for this information.

"No, I do not, Uchiha-San." He resisted the temptation to insult him with a few choice words about his _true_ feelings.

"You don't know _where_ she is? I thought you branch-members were supposed to protect the main house?" _A brief tugging of the eyebrows upwards, gritted teeth, clenched fists… Do you fear her, Sasuke, or fear _for_ her? _

"You thought wrong, Uchiha-San. Hinata wished to be alone, so I let her go." _Perhaps you should go as well, _he added silently.

"Hn. I'll wait here, then. I'll need to keep warm until Kakashi-Sensei arrives at the gate." _Heart-rate increased, lung capacity momentarily exceeding normal inflation levels, slight shiver along the course of his back. No… you _fear_ having to return to your home. Isn't that right, Uchiha?_ Neji decided to check.

"Sasuke, that is what _your_ house is for." He watched like a hawk, like a _heron_, for the reaction of Sasuke. _Heart rate increases slightly, teeth gritted once more, rate of chakra flow increasing… So… you _do_ fear your home._ Neji smiled. "Is it Fugaku that drove you away, or Itachi?" This time, Sasuke was so shocked that his mask dropped – eyebrows lifted high, mouth dropped open, and a look of stunned disbelief covered the Uchiha's face. "Or…" Neji continued, smiling as Sasuke's body betrayed his emotions, "did you leave by yourself? Were you too weak to meet your clan's expectations?" Jet-Black eyes stared at him in horror and fury. "I know all about you, _Uchiha_," Neji snarled. "I know all about your clan – they don't tolerate weaklings. Even when I was a child, I heard of what they did to those that failed their expectations…" he tilted his head to the side, and _smiled_, before continuing in a quieter, more menacing voice – "do you know what they did, Sasuke?" The Uchiha stood still as a statue, and Neji leant close to whisper in his ear. "They called _us_ barbaric, your clan did. The caged bird seal… they claimed we were monsters, _unfit_ to be counted amongst Konoha's noble clans. Isn't that right? Isn't that what your father told you?" He knew the answer already, had seen it a hundred times over the past handful of seconds.

"I-I… Y-you…" Sasuke struggled to form words around his feelings: anger and fear and sadness and doubt. Neji cut him off as he continued – despite everything, Sasuke _needed_ to hear the rest of what the Hyuuga had to say – a truth that disgusted him, even as he recognised it for truth.

"So you, raised on hatred, began to hate the Hyuuga, because that was what was expected – what was considered _right._ Even as you hate your clan, you still hate _mine_, because you learned _that_ hatred first, and it has festered inside you for far longer. Look at your own clan, Sasuke – look at _their_ evils, before you judge mine." He turned, then paused and looked back over his shoulder. Almost casually, he spoke again. "Oh, and by the way… they _blinded_ _their_ weaklings. Who're the barbaric ones now, Sasuke?" He chuckled, and turned away. _Was it this easy for you, Father? To control others like this? Did you do this to Haku? _He had managed to demolish the Uchiha in _seconds_, and Hizashi… Hizashi had _decades_ more experience than Neji did. What that man must be capable of… He felt his chakra levels falling rapidly, due to the use of the Byakugan, and closed his eyes, to deactivate it – it would do no good to exhaust his already strained chakra reserves.

"Wait." He stopped, looked back over, this time wearing a mask of boredom. Instead of the Sharingan glare that others would see, Neji saw contractions throughout the optical nerve, narrowing of the muscles directly above and below the eye, and a sharper iris, as well as a great surge of chakra to the tenketsu in the eyes. _So… you_ are_ stronger than I thought…_ though Sasuke shook still, a _visible_ sign of his defeat. "You're lying. The Uchiha clan… I'd have found out by now, if what you said was true. There is no _way_ that you would know, and I would not. You… you…" He activated his Sharingan. "You don't know _anything!_ You don't know what it is, to live amongst the Uchiha clan, you don't know what it is, to be endlessly _judged_, and _compared_ to others!" _Betters, Neji saw reflected in the movements of Sasuke._ "You… It is _you_ who is the fool – you make up evils, because you _know nothing!_" He fairly spat the last few words, and Neji turned all the way around, facing him directly.

"I know the Uchiha clan, because I have been told these tales, the same as you were told tales about the Hyuuga. The difference between our clans, _Uchiha_, is that there are no _secrets_ within the Hyuuga. There are no _lies._" Overhead, the sky began to clear, as the sun rose from the horizon. A faint ray of light illuminated the two shinobi – Sasuke standing in the light, casting a shadow, whilst Neji stood concealed, but casting no darkness of his own.

"The difference between us… is that you Hyuuga bastards act all pure, but are just as manipulative, just as dark as the Uchiha clan is… And as for your "no secrets" bullshit, I suppose you _didn't_ know that your precious Clan Head is fucking her _other_ team-mate."

Neji's concentration wavered, in a sudden spasm of pain as his Byakugan forcibly deactivated itself, and he cursed – he'd missed the moment where he would have been able to tell if that was truth, or a lie. _Fucking their team-mate…_ That… If it was true… it bothered him far more than it should – Hinata's life was _none_ of his business, but still…

"You… you lie…" he sputtered, for the first time losing control of the conversation. Sasuke saw that, and grinned.

"No? So tell me, _Hyuuga_, use those all-seeing eyes of yours – where _is_ dear _Hinata-Chan_?" And it struck Neji, not for the first time, that Hinata had chosen to _leave_ the Hyuuga compound, chosen somewhere _other_ than her home, simply because _he_ had been there. All of a sudden, his earlier taunt towards Sasuke had backfired utterly – was he the "Itachi" of the Hyuuga Clan?

"She… Hinata wouldn't…" Ashamed at his inability to form a coherent response, Neji turned his face away from the Uchiha – realising bitterly that he was in the same position he had put Sasuke in before.

"No? So you don't know where she is? _I_ know. She's with Naruto, and, if she's anything like she's been before, well…" he chuckled. "I'd say you start looking forward to having a nephew by next year…" Neji rushed forward, and grabbed the Uchiha by the throat, and in a flash, Sasuke drew a kunai, the tip of it pressing gently against Neji's temple.

"Get out. Leave the Hyuuga compound, Uchiha Sasuke, or _I will kill you._" Clarity evaded the grasp of Neji, replaced with… passions, _murderous_ passions. He released Sasuke, whose smile turned genuine, knowing that he'd won this war of words.

"Go ask her, Neji," he said, before turning on his heel and marching away. Neji waited until he was gone, before turning back and entering the Main House. Neji gripped his crutch until knuckles turned white, and decided he would change as quickly as possible, before going _after_ Hinata, and confronting her on this matter. As he was about to enter his room, he heard a brief shuffling sound behind him, and then a mewl.

"Niisan…" he looked behind him, saw his _other_ cousin standing dejectedly, her bear in her arms and her cat stretching out by her feet.

"Hanabi? You should not be up yet – the Academy does not begin for another two hours."

"Don't wanna go," Hanabi muttered sullenly. "Don't wanna do _anything_ today. Aneki's gone…" She flinched a bit. "Aneki _tricked_ me, and left me alone. That's not good, is it, niisan? That's not what Aneki's supposed to do, right?" He could see the silent plea on her face, for him to agree with her, and, silently, he said that he knew _exactly_ what she meant. There _were_ lies after all, it seemed, when it came to Hinata.

"Do not worry, Hanabi. I will still be here." He smiled. "I'm not going anywhere for a while." Hanabi scowled.

"I know _that_, niisan… But I want _Aneki_ as well." Neji let out a breath. _At least she hadn't said she wanted Hinata _instead _of him._

"Hanabi, Hinata will not be gone for long. She will return soon. You don't need to worry about that." He wondered if he'd said the wrong thing, as her eyes began to glisten with tears.

"I know _that_, niisan! But then _you'll_ be going on a mission, and when you come back, _Aneki'll_ be gone again! I don't want to share _you!_" She sniffed, and dragged a sleeve across her left eye. "I want us to stay together – like Aneki said, for the Hyuuga to stay together." Neji walked over to her, knelt, and then dabbed at her still moist right eye, and Hanabi began to cry and sob in earnest, wrapping herself around Neji in an awkward hug. "I don't _want_ you to leave me, niisan! And, and I don't want _Aneki_ to leave, either, _ever!_ I… I want _both_ of you to be with me, _forever! _Like… like how Aneki said our family was like, before… before… before Hizashi-Teme ruined everything." Neji forced himself not to react when he heard her say his father's name.

"Hanabi… Do you know Hinata's dream?" Hanabi shook her head, whilst keeping it still buried in his shoulder. "Hinata's dream is to kill Hizashi. To do that-" Hanabi cut him off.

"Then I'll help her," she said fiercely. "It was _my_ Tou-San he killed, as well. I'll… I'll help her kill him, but… but we need to get strong _together_. It won't work if she's not here, niisan!" She turned her head so that her eyes were facing his face. "You'll help too, niisan, won't you? 'Cause we're family and family looks out for each other. You'll help protect Aneki, right?" He looked at her, saw the need in those eyes, the need for a lie.

"Of course I will," he said and smiled. Hanabi didn't let go of him for another ten minutes, but as soon as she felt comfortable, she released him and walked off, her sullen disposition gone.

"Today… today, can you help me train, niisan? I want to impress Aneki when she comes home, so she knows that it's _better_ to stay at home."

"Of course, Hanabi," Neji said and smiled, and Hanabi's return smile was pure gold, flashing white, in a house tainted by grey dullness.

Neji, for the first time since… that day, took two bowls of cereal and milk, before going back to his room, and shutting the door.

"Neji-Sama, I apologise," Haku said and dropped to her knees. "I should have told you earlier that it was a boy at the door – can you forgive me?"

"Of course," Neji said, and scowled. "It was no problem at all. Stand up, Haku, we're having breakfast."

"Hai, Neji-Sama," she said, and accepted the proffered bowl and spoon. They ate in silence for a few moments.

"Is… your sister alright?" Haku said finally.

"She is my cousin," Neji said, almost automatically. "But she is fine, now." He twirled his spoon around in his fingers, and somehow, the light glinting off it made it resemble a Byakugan eye.

"Forgive me, Neji-Sama. I had assumed, since she referred to you as 'niisan'… She seemed… greatly upset." _Whose eye was it? Mine, or Hinata's, or Hanabi's… or Hizashi's? _

"I… I do worry for Hanabi sometimes. She is too close to Hinata, too devoted. But I swore to myself I would not be like Hizashi – I would not manipulate others like he did." Haku chewed for a moment in silence.

"Hiza… _Tou-San_ held the respect of the other person with him," she said, after correcting herself.

"The _other_ person?" Neji raised an eyebrow. _It wasn't his eye, reflected in the spoon. And neither was it Hizashi's. It seemed feminine. Was it Hanabi's, or Hinata's? 'Whoever you want it to be,' _a part of him said, with what amounted to a mental snort.

"Hai. He called him… Dei… Deidara, I think. He spoke to Hi… Tou-San… he spoke to Tou-San like a _friend_. Is… is it possible that he is not so evil? He… he saved my life, after all, when he had no need to."

"Haku." Neji leant over, and grasped her wrists. She looked into his eyes, _glaring_ at her, for the first time ever. "Whatever he has told you, remember that this man killed his _family_." She looked down immediately.

"Hai… forgive me, Neji-Sama. I will not speak of him again in such high regard."

"No… that's not what I meant, it's just… You can't look at Hi… Tou-San, and see good, _or_ evil. He is… neither. He does not… do things simply to be good or evil, he does them because they suit _him_. He killed the Hyuugas, because it suited _him_ to do so. He saved your life, because he _wished_ to do so. He…" _He was kind, at the start – he was a good father, more so than Hinata's… what happened, Tou-San?_

"Neji-Sama?" Haku's voice was quiet, almost a whisper. "Forgive me, Neji-Sama… but you are wrong." She paused, and looked up at him again, continuing in a more confident tone when he did not argue. "Tou-San does not do these things for _himself_… He does them for _you._" It was very quiet, for a moment, and Neji… just sat there, unmoving. All of a sudden, the room seemed too small, and he could not find the air to breathe.

"I have to go," he said, and stood up too quickly, stumbling, just stopping his fall with his crutch. He waved away Haku when she began to rise, and saw _past_ her, at a seated Hinata, who smiled faintly, satisfied at last.

_"I told you, Neji. It _was_ your fault. _That_ is why I hate you."_ Then he blinked, and she was gone.

"I… I just need some air," he said, trying to force a smile onto his face, but he felt ready to throw up. He opened the screen door, and Hanabi was there, but it _wasn't_ her. It was the baby, seven years ago, looking at him with eyes that were _still_ overlarge, and speaking with a voice seven years too old for her.

_"You can't help us, can you, niisan? 'Cause we can't trust you anymore – you're the reason Hizashi-Teme killed everyone, right?"_

"No… No, it wasn't like that," he muttered at the apparition, and stumbled out of his room. He felt a hand grab his shoulder, and another touch his hip, and glanced back to see a Haku-that-wasn't-there smile at him. He could see behind her the _real_ Haku, still seated, hesitantly about to rise.

_"Hizashi-Sama wanted us to be together, Neji-Sama."_ He shrugged her off, watching her dissolve into smoke, but then the whole _world_ turned wrong, colours draining out, and he saw Hyuuga after Hyuuga step out of thin air, as he made his way towards the garden, towards fresh air and the end of this nightmare.

_"Blood-Traitor," _one of them hissed. _"_His_ son. The _traitor's _son." _

_"We should have had you marked…"_ spat another, and traced the Caged Bird Seal on his forehead – it burned, and Neji pushed past them, eyes moistening, though tears refused to fall. Waiting for him was Hinata's father, Hyuuga Hiashi, who looked at him sternly, with hollow eye-sockets.

_"Do tell your father, Neji, the next time you meet. I would have my eyes back."_

Neji shook, and then fell to his knees. Absently, he recognised that he was in front of the tomb of Hinata's parents. His stomach roiled and heaved, and Neji placed his forehead to the damp earth as the first of the convulsions struck him – before he vomited heavily over the earth.

When he was done, he took several deep, panting breaths, though the air _reeked_ of vomit, and made him want to throw up again. Then, shakily, he stood. A pair of hands grabbed his arm, and he looked up to see Haku, who seemed positively _terrified_. _As she should be – you are Hizashi's son, after all._

"Neji-Sama… are you okay now?" he grunted, and once he was supported by his crutch, she took a napkin and dabbed at his mouth.

"Haku…" she paused as he spoke, and his eyes met hers. "Do you..." she put a finger to his lips, and smiled gently.

"Neji-Sama is not like his father. You would never do this – You care for your cousins. I… apologise for causing this, Neji-Sama."

"There… is no need, Haku. I… just need to rest, and _think_ about this." He did not protest when she shouldered some of his weight, and helped him back towards his room.

"If… If Neji-Sama requires me, I will be here," she said as Neji lay down, but he remained silent. It took almost a minute for her to look up, and see that he had fallen asleep. Smiling wistfully, she continued – "I will follow Neji-Sama wherever he wishes." And though she could not tell, she was _certain_ that Hyuuga Neji had heard her.

--

Sasuke was faintly surprised to see Hinata and Naruto arrive together, though it figured… where else would the Hyuuga head be, if she wasn't at her own house? She was smart enough to steer clear of the Uchiha Compound, something the Dobe hadn't quite seemed to figure out yet, and her only other friend, as far as Sasuke knew, was the blonde idiot currently laughing.

"Ohayo, Sasuke-Teme," he said brightly, waving, and Sasuke tsked in reply. _What a fucking failure of a team…_ Yeah, maybe Naruto had surprised him, at the Ramen stand, but once he'd gotten over that, he'd beaten the Dobe with _ease_. His hard work meant nothing, in the face of genius. The Hyuuga, whilst more talented than Naruto, was someone he could barely stand to be next to – even without the betrothal hanging over their heads. _"She's just like you… just like me…_" Not likely – Hinata was, in Sasuke's books, a self-obsessed, manipulative, hypocritical Hyuuga bitch – that wasn't changing anytime soon; if anything, meeting her cousin just aggravated the issue – now he knew that _all_ Hyuugas were stuck-up, holier-than-thou bastards. He doubted whether it would be possible to have his opinion of the Hyuuga clan lowered any further.

"Uchiha-San," she said, and inclined her head slightly as a greeting. She even had a small smile on he face – and for some reason that annoyed Sasuke – what had she been doing, with Naruto? What web was she weaving around the blonde idiot? Damned if he knew whether they were actually fucking each other, and damned if he cared. That was just a way to piss off that Neji bastard – a way that worked very well. Well, there was _another_ thing about the Hyuugas – they were all equally as amusing to annoy.

"_Hyuuga_," he replied, making his voice carry as much of a sneer as possible. It must have worked, since she glared at him, and he smirked back. He could almost get into a good mood after a morning training with Fugaku, just by winding up the Hyuuga clan.

"Oi, Teme, leave Hinata alone – or I'll kick your ass!" _Are you blind!?_ Sasuke felt like screaming. _She's got you wrapped around her _little_ finger, Dobe!_ But he stopped himself. Naruto would figure it out, soon enough, and Sasuke would be there to snort, and tell him how ridiculous he'd made himself look. _That_ would be worth it. If the idiot thought they were actually friends, well… then he just _deserved_ his Dobe title.

"It's six, isn't it?" he said instead, wondering where their sensei was. Hatake Kakashi was no slouch – Sasuke had read up on him, once he'd been told that Kakashi would be their teacher – Genin at the age of six, Jounin by twelve, his exploits during the Third Great Ninja War were compared only to that of his father, during the Second Great Ninja War – and rivalled them. He had, during the course of the war, been responsible for the deaths of some eighty-five shinobi, at least forty of them Jounin, and many more that were unrecorded – due to being the targets of S-Ranked missions still remaining as secrets of the village. By the age of fourteen he had been entered as a High-A/Low-S Ranked enemy in the Bingo Books of Kumogakure and Kirigakure, and by the age of sixteen, had been singled out by the famed second son of the Tsuchikage, as a _personal_ target.

The statistics spoke for themselves – Hatake Kakashi was efficient, cold, merciless, the perfect shinobi… But since resigning from his position as Captain-Commander of the ANBU, he seemed to have dropped greatly in focus. He'd asked Tou-San about it, and Tou-San had said he acted much the same as Obito had, an irony that made Sasuke almost smile – Kakashi gained the Sharingan, but lost his edge.

"Yeah, it's six… Where's Kakashi-Sensei?"

"He'd better not be late… D-Ranked missions are one thing, but this… this is far more important." Hinata sighed, and activated her Byakugan, before smiling. For some reason, Sasuke decided, it looked mis-matched on a face contorted with chakra coils, like putting a flower in a bed of weeds.

"I can see you, Kakashi-Sensei," she said, and the Jounin stuck a hand out of the top of a bush, giving a friendly wave.

"I was wondering when you'd do that… though I wish you'd have given me another half-hour; I was getting to a good bit of my book…" He snapped shut the little orange book, and tucked it into his equipment pouch with a sigh. "Well then… let's get going… We're due to reach the Matsu Estates by noon, so we have six hours."

"Alright! First C-Ranked mission!" Naruto pumped his fist in the air. "Come on, Hinata!"

"…Absolutely not," she said, and walked out of the gate, with Sasuke after her, sure to maintain a distance, and give Naruto a sneer in answer to his unasked question – he'd be damned before he took part in any of Naruto's stupid celebrations.

"Kakashi-Sensei?" the blonde said, looking at the silver-haired Jounin with a mischievous glint in his eye. The Jounin said nothing, just looked at him disinterestedly, until Naruto turned away, grumbling. "Bunch of sour…"

"Alright then," Kakashi said, as he Shunshined to the front of the group. "We're going to be going after bandits, so don't get too worried – but don't get cocky, either – we may be shinobi, but we'll die all the same if one of them gets a lucky blow in with an axe or sword. Of course, I _will_ be looking out for you guys… when I'm not busy reading." He reached to his equipment pouch, and Sasuke, struck by a moment of inspiration, glanced first at Hinata, then Naruto. He motioned to the book, and made a grabbing motion, and first the Hyuuga, then the Dobe nodded, both beginning to smile.

Kakashi didn't know what hit him, when the combined efforts of three determined Genin assaulted him and his book, with the express purpose of denying him from reading the climax.

--

_In his dreams, Neji often found the greatest clarity – in a realm where the unexpected was to be expected. To him, sleep was almost an extension of the Jyuuken, where he could pause, free from the madness of life, free from the inexorable currents of the River of Life, and simply _think

_So… Hizashi _had_ done it for him – had killed his _entire_ family, for the sake of his son. Hinata had been right, all along. _She must never know of this,_ a part of him said – _she must never have reason to have power over me._ He had discovered freedom, control, and he would_ not_ give it up so easily. No… if anything, he needed to _increase_ his control. He had had enough of serving, and the taste of leadership that Haku had given him was… almost _addictive_. Hn. So… _this_ was what Hizashi had planned, after all… _

_Of course, that was one other part of the puzzle – he was still controlled by Hizashi, who laid out a path for him. That would have to change – he was no sooner going to become his father's possession than he was to return to being Hinata's. _

_Opening up, unfolding before him like a flowing blossom, the darkness of his mind erupted into vivid shades of blue, and Neji recognised immediately that he stood before the River of Life, rushing into the far distance of his slumbering thoughts. Dreams often did that, for him – turned the abstract into the rule. _

Normally, the river branched into two – two sides he had come to recognise as belonging to Hinata, and Hizashi, respectively. The one was lonely, barren, icy – it trod into the shadow of long-distant memories, and promised eternity, of the same crushing depression, the constant cycle of distrust and thinly-veiled hatred, again and again. 

_The other soon turned violet, then black, then finally red, flooded with blood. Corpses littered its banks, staring with swollen faces, gaping with wide-open mouths, sweating their lifeblood into the river, tainting its purity. At the end of the macabre trail, which tapered off abruptly, there stood a single skeleton, grinning madly, its hand outstretched. It bore the Caged Bird Seal upon his forehead, and Neji knew that it was his father. _

_Thus far in life, he had stayed strictly on the side that he associated with Hinata – the alternative was simply impossible – to leave Konoha, to try and find the father that had abandoned him, and live the life of a missing-nin? Ridiculous, and absolutely impossible. Besides which, for a short while, he and Hinata had actually continued their previously amicable relationship. It was not until she had turned ten that they had drifted apart. _

_On occasion, the two streams had branched together, such as when he had discovered Haku, but one thing remained constant – he was a nothing, a miniscule, inconsequential creature, swept away by fate. _No longer._ Before his eyes, the river fractured, its two branches splitting into a hundred, or more. Neji's eyes widened, at seeing the sheer extensiveness of this new river. A slight ripple, and he turned, to see the green, freshly-fallen leaf that represented him, as it began to float gently downstream. Soon after, another ripple joined the first, and as they converged on the reflection of his face, they formed an almost mock-Caged Bird Seal, before distorting his reflection. He whirled, to see what the _second_ object was, and paused as a snowflake span its way towards the leaf. Now… _this _had never happened before. _

_The leaf and snowflake paused suddenly, inexplicably, and Neji frowned. They were at the first of the many branches – so many – and yet the river had stopped, frozen. Immediately, he understood, and took a step forward, feeling the… _experience_ of having stepped into such a river, as his feet became fully submerged. _

_"That one," he said, and nudged the leaf and snowflake down one of the many paths – they all seemed so alike, thus far. However, as soon as the leaf and snowflake went down this path, those around it began to crumble, and dissolve into nothingness. _

_"I see…" he smiled. So… he _could_ choose, that was what this meant. He could choose, but… there would be consequences. For every path he chose, others would crumble. _And there were so many paths to choose…_ Choice loomed before him, filling his entire vision, and though Neji understood, understood now that, for better or worse, he _was_ free, he _could_ choose, the sheer number of branches, of potential futures… they created a feeling in the pit of his stomach, a tugging, hungrily grasping feeling, that at the same time _promised

_Was this the feeling of freedom? Neji watched the leaf and snowflake float away, as the river faded into nothingness, and smiled. Hizashi and Hinata… they may have decided his future before, but now, as the dreamscape faded into darkness once more, Neji knew that his fate belonged to him, and him alone._

**AN: There was a lot more Neji development on the suggestion of my Beta. He'll be taking a definite backseat for the rest of this arc - It'll be very Team 7 based, though I wouldn't rule out another chapter focusing on Neji and Hanabi.**

**Also, I've put in my little personal forum a discussion thread now for pairings and relationships in Fallen Heights. Check it out, give your input - it's always appreciated.**

**Oh, and one more thing - whilst the OC's have been staved off for one more character, my brain has (unfortunately for some), gone into full-on "World Development" mode, where anything and everything gets given a name, a history, and something to make it unique. That includes, but is not limited to: Mikoto and Yondaime's team-mate, (hopes the Manga doesn't just throw a complete curve-ball with regards to Yondaime's male team-mate); The unnamed Uchiha Fugaku was going to give to Neji; The Tsuchikage's son, as briefly mentioned in this chapter (re-read the Hizashi chapter, and you may see why he'll be important); and a character that isn't _really_ an OC, but has no real backstory or abilities, just a name and a village. (Guess who - winner gets a special mention.)**

**See you guys next chapter, which will be put up quicker depending on the amount of reviews it gets.**

**(P.S - If you think _this_ is good, just wait until I get around to my version of the Chuunin Exams - this is all just build-up and foreshadowing, and the _real _action begins then)**


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

A/N: Until further notice, I'm going to stop referring to chapter titles using POVs - at some point I'll try and think of relevant, cool-sounding chapter titles. Until then, they're just numbers.

Sorry about the long delay, but hopefully this (longest chapter I've ever written ever at 12.091k words) will suffice!

Mid-morning light filtered through the leafy canopy of the forest, casting dappled shadows over the amber boughs of tree bark. The babbling laughter of a stream provided a steady rhythm, with the chittering of birdsong rising and falling intermittently over it.

A patch coated, brown-and-white squirrel peeked its head from the hole in an ancient oak that it regarded as its home, and sniffed, once-twice-thrice, to ensure there were no predators lurking outside to prey on it. Hesitantly, it took one step, then another, out of its sanctuary, ears pressed low against its head, eyes darting rapidly over the area in front of it. A creak caused it to freeze and press itself flat against the branch, fur standing on end, muscles poised to begin a quick retreat back to safety. After minutes passed and nothing of suspicion happened, it darted across the branch, and leapt across a wide gap onto another.

It knew where it wanted to go, a feeding ground only it had found, and knew it must be quick, to eat its fill and take what remained back to its stash. Clambering up a thick tree-trunk and along the underside of an outstretched branch; making another leap, and then another, to the chosen tree, and then…

It smelt something strange as it leapt, something unfamiliar, not a predator, but still… unfamiliar. Hovering just over that scent was the delicious fragrance of nuts and berries, and that caused it to forsake its normal caution, and continue, scampering along the branch to where it poked out over the source of the stream. It took a nut in both hands, and nibbled on it, noticing four large, coloured shapes far to the ground. They didn't bother it – it knew of the two-legged large creatures that lived below-the-trees, and made their nests out of stone instead of wood… They could not climb this far. It was only when one of them, a younger one with yellow head-fur and strange, orange-and-blue body-fur (it had never seen a two-legs-down-below with that coloured fur before) began to scream that the squirrel paid closer attention.

"Damnit! How'd you do that, Kakashi-sensei!?" he (you could tell he was a boy, because of the deep-voice and the deep-scent) shouted at another two-legs, a tall man with spiky silver head-fur and blue-green body-fur, with a… The squirrel paused as it recognised the over-fur, green with a red circle on the back, that this two-legs wore. It had seen others like that, the other two-legs had a special name for them in their strange, loud grunt-moan speak. They could do _magic_… _Shee-no-bee_ The _Shee-no-bee_ gave a noncommittal shrug, and with exaggerated movements dusted himself down.

"Well… I _am_ a Jounin…" he said eventually, and his one visible eye crinkled. Orange-blue wiggled, but could not break free. The squirrel leaned further over branch to watch, and dislodged a nut, which fell onto the head of another buried two-legs. This one, a female, craned her neck, and glared silently at the squirrel, setting off a nervous chittering – those eyes… white, vacant… _scary_… Not-good-not-good! It retreated slightly, until the female transferred her ghost-glare to the silver-haired _Shee-no-bee_, who was still listening to orange-and-blue rage at him.

"That's enough! Let me out of here!" he shouted, and the _Shee-no-bee_ kept smiling.

"Nope, sorry! _I'm_ going to go read my book. You three have fun!" He disappeared in a cloud of leaves and rushing wind, and the squirrel froze once more as its branch dipped down suddenly, due to added weight... It turned around slowly, to see the _Shee-no-bee_ sitting down behind it, single eye half-open and looking straight at it. For a few brief moments, there was a chilling silence, save for the rapid thumping of its own heart. Then the _Shee-no-bee's_ eye curled up into a crescent.

"Yo," it said, and the squirrel fled with an agitated chittering, clutching its meal close to it.

Kakashi watched it go, and hmphed. Squirrels… excitable little creatures, but not that smart at all… It had sure picked a nice spot, though. He plucked a small red fruit hanging above him and, lowering his face-mask slightly, bit into it. It was very sweet, juicy, and he licked his lips before pulling out his copy of Icha Icha Paradise, half-paying attention to the ranting Naruto below him, screaming out blue murder.

Not that Kakashi cared, of course. He glanced down from his chosen spot in the top branches of a tree at the incensed Genin of Team 7, or what could be seen of them – namely, their heads, sticking up out of the earth.

"Thank, you, Minato-sensei… I _knew_ that move would come in useful somewhere down the line…" He smiled, and as Naruto shouted out below him, realised _just_ how Minato-sensei must have felt, when he left his team in a similar predicament, back in the early days. Reaching a hand into his equipment pouch, he pulled out the orange book written by the sensei of _his_ sensei, and wondered idly just where in the Shinobi Nations the Toad Hermit made his abode. The last time he'd seen him, Jiraiya had said something about making a _trilogy_ of these books, and going over to Kiri to look for some island of "hot blue-haired chicks".

Flipping open to one of his preferred parts, Kakashi sighed, as one unfortunate side-effect of this… little lesson of his became apparent.

"Stop lookin' at me like that, Sasuke-_teme_! It wasn't _my_ idea to try and take Kakashi-sensei's book!" The incensed Uzumaki screeched and glared at the Uchiha, who was uncharacteristically… emotional.

"Be quiet, Dobe," Sasuke hissed, glaring daggers at his team-mates. "If you hadn't been so stupid, he wouldn't have caught you."

_Yare, yare…_ those two were at it like… well, a certain _other_ Uchiha had been with a younger Kakashi. If one wasn't insulting the other's taste in colour, they were _being_ insulted over being a stiff-necked, stuck-up bastard. And, just like a certain team, it was the kunoichi that had to step in the middle and defuse the situation.

"Stop fighting. We need to figure out a way to get out of here." The Hyuuga clan head fixed her team-mates with _that_ glare, the one that Kakashi could swear curdled milk and made small children cry. Granted, Hinata didn't have much of the sweet, conciliatory nature that Rin did, but it got the job done. Sasuke tsked, not wanting to be seen as someone less concerned with escape than his personal vendetta with Naruto, and Naruto, as he always did, deferred to the person in the team who he liked, or at least, disliked _less_ – Kakashi couldn't quite figure out the love-hate relationship those two had… It reminded him somewhat of a… past relationship he'd had sometime before, though he hoped that Naruto would never need to escort a young lady back to her home after she had drunk more than her weight in Sake, and was rambling on drunkenly about snakes, and Dango, and blood…

No, Hinata had too much of an avenger complex for that… Kakashi knew from experience that avengers were, if not dismissive of, downright _hateful_ of luxuries like that… Though he wasn't quite sure whether that was a good thing or not… After all, _his_ generation had shed blood to ensure that this generation could _enjoy_ those luxuries…

"What? _You're_ the _genius_ here! Why can't you think up something!?"

"Because it's impossible, Naruto!" Sasuke shouted in reply, and Kakashi's eye flickered back down to his Genin, who were struggling furiously to dislodge themselves from the soil. With a smile, he noted that they were at least trying to help one another, instead of just bickering.

Well… they were doing a bit better than his team had, at least. He could dimly remember, when he had been in this situation, simply being content to insult Obito until Rin coaxed him away, and Obito had suddenly gotten dust in his eye.

"It's a test." Both of the boys looked at the kunoichi of the team. "Kakashi-sensei is _testing_ us."

"What d'ya mean, Hinata? How's he testing us with _this_?"

"I don't know that! Perhaps… perhaps it's just a test of _patience_." A brief silence, and Kakashi chose to listen in carefully. _I wonder what their reaction will be…_ He was willing to bet that Naruto would be the first to break the silence, just as Obito had raged against the unfairness of life back in the good old days, but you never knew…

"I'm going to kill him, Jounin or not, when I get out of here," Sasuke said, and he and Naruto redoubled their efforts to escape. _Oh?_ That was interesting… Chalk one up for "Different to my old team"… Perhaps it was just an _Uchiha_ thing? Or perhaps Sasuke had more depth to him than Kakashi was willing to give him credit for. In any case, he was correct in his guess that the Kunoichi merely sighed, and glared at the world in general. But then, that was life's lesson, he supposed. You win some, you lose some.

The one-eyed Jounin sighed, and glanced away from his team. They were _supposed_ to be going at full speed to the Matsu Estates, but, well… he figured they could use a lesson, and he _really_ wanted to read this chapter. Now, with their attentions focused entirely on either waiting, or struggling to free themselves, the chance of another shouting match between Naruto and Sasuke was nil, so he could _finally_ start what he'd been waiting for. Giggling pervertedly, he turned the page, and decided he'd let them stew in their own juices for another… hour, perhaps – just so long as he could finish reading this masterpiece. He made a mental note to beg Jiraiya-Sama to come with him on one of his "research" trips – his inspiration must be _breathtaking._

For the next hour, the forest was filled only with the sounds of grunting Genin, punctuated by the occasional curse from Naruto, and, once or twice, a full-blown shouting match between him and Sasuke. By the time the sun had reached, and passed its zenith, and Kakashi felt he had procrastinated enough, he dropped to the forest floor, with a false smile, and had three very distinct Killer Intents pointed directly at him. About the time Naruto started screaming at him, he wondered if, perhaps, he should have stayed in his comfortable spot for another hour… Ah well, such was life!

--

_How ridiculous…_ Having been made to sit through the bickering of Naruto and Sasuke for, she was certain, the better part of an hour and a half, "annoyed" barely begun to describe the mood of the Hyuuga. When Kakashi deigned to show himself and free his Genin, he had been aggravatingly nonchalant, almost _baiting_ them to attack him, as if they had already forgotten how easily he had bested all three of them, without even resorting to his Sharingan. The fact that he had decided they should be left here for an hour just so he could read his book infuriated her further, and she glared daggers at the Hatake as he checked the position of the sun, scratching his chin and having the temerity to _yawn_ at them.

"Hmm… better hurry up, you guys– we're about… an hour and a half behind schedule," he decided eventually, pointedly ignoring the three simmering Genin.

"Whose fault is that?" Naruto grumbled, and Kakashi cuffed him around the head, before setting a walking pace. The Genin followed, with Naruto muttering under his breath and rubbing his head. Hinata glared a hole in her sensei's back, on the conveniently placed spiral of his flak vest – a perfect target. No doubt Sasuke was doing the same – she had rarely seen him so incensed about something as he had been in… _this_ particular incident. Kakashi leaned his head languorously over his shoulder, and, pointedly ignoring the twin glares, spoke in an inappropriately bored tone of voice.

"Hmm… Not to pressure you or anything… I'm sure you guys are full of energy for the mission, but you guys should… try to show some caution… we'll be getting pretty close to Rai no Kuni, after all…"

"Rai no Kuni? What do we need to be careful about?" Sasuke's wary, patronising voice was the first to answer, the Uchiha clearly determined to be as difficult as possible in order to gain some measure of revenge from his humiliation. Kakashi affected not to notice the hostility.

"Well, you guys may not know this, but Kumo's sort-of… in the middle of a civil war."

"_Sort-of!? _What do you mean?" Naruto was the next to answer, and Kakashi remained just as neutral to his sceptical enthusiasm as he had to Sasuke.

"There's two factions, you see… one led by the former Yondaime Raikage, one led by the current Godaime… But the Godaime's already pretty much won… The Yondaime's been run ragged throughout Rai no Kuni, but he's not quite given up yet… Anyway, he's still dangerous, cornered beast and all that… and not just to Kumo. You see… there were… misunderstandings, between Kumogakure and the Hyuuga clan, back before… _stuff_ happened. I'm sure Hinata guessed – why was an ANBU assigned to teach her whilst she was still an academy student?"

"You barely taught me anything, Kakashi-Sensei," Hinata added, but Kakashi ignored her.

"It was because there were… elements of Kumogakure that wanted the Byakugan – something about them wanting ultimate perception… or something like that. They were endorsed, and supported by the Yondaime himself, publicly. Hokage-sama thinks that that's one of the reasons the civil war started – Yondaime was trying to get, at any cost, the last few Hyuugas, and that would, of course, mean war with Konoha, clearly not something the Godaime was in favour of. You may _not_ know this, but there was a kidnapping attempt, during one of Hinata and Tenten's training sessions. Luckily, I intercepted the shinobi before he reached you guys."

Hinata _could_ remember that, so very long ago:

_  
"Ne, _Hinata_, how'd you get so damned quick?" Tenten settled into her stance, and sent another quick flurry of blows – Kakashi-sensei had forbidden them from using weapons for this training session, so as to improve their natural reflexes, or at least, that was the reason he gave – it sounded like so much usual nonsense from the lazy shinobi._

_Hinata pushed aside Tenten's blows, and slipped a Jyuuken strike past her guard, tapping her lightly on the inside shoulder and sealing a tenketsu with each of the three fingers that brushed the cloth. Tenten gritted her teeth, and swung her weight around, for a roundhouse kick, which Hinata ducked, before sweeping Tenten's other leg out from under her. Before the weapons mistress could get up, Hinata had a hand inches from her throat, with the very real possibility of emitting chakra – which would most likely rupture the Jugular vein at this range and angle._

_  
"I win," she said, and Tenten scowled. Hinata smiled at her sparring partner, and then walked a bit away and began performing stretches to loosen her limbs._

_  
"Hmph – no fair! If I got to use a weapon, I'd…" she trailed off, and Hinata paused, glancing at Tenten's face. "Did you hear that?" the brunette asked, and Hinata strained her ears. Abruptly, she heard it – a curse, and the clash of steel on steel._

"_Let's see what it is," she decided, after ascertaining the direction the sounds came from._

_  
"Well… I don't know, Hinata…" Tenten began, but Hinata was already making seals._

"_Byakugan," she whispered, and the world turned ghostly, with brief flashes of blue where she could see Chakra. In the near distance, she saw Kakashi, clash again and again with a nameless, faceless shinobi, who wielded a katana in both hands. Sapphire lightning crackled down the length of the weapon._

"_Sharingan no Kakashi…" the enemy spat, and Kakashi responded by throwing his kunai, then leaping at his adversary, forming seals already. The enemy cursed, blocked the kunai, and then swung with his sword…_

"_Hinata? What's happening? What're you looking at?" Hinata flinched as Tenten spoke, so close to her, and in that instant, she missed Kakashi's move. When she'd steadied her vision enough to look back, she saw two halves of Kakashi's foe fly apart, as Kakashi landed on a house, and then looked straight at her._

"_Tsk, I missed it, Tenten! You distracted me." Tenten pouted, and folded her arms._

"_But I didn't see _any_ of it, Hinata," she muttered. "I just wanted to know what was going on, was all."_

"_Tenten," said Kakashi, and Tenten jumped when the Jounin appeared next to her. She opened her mouth to yell angrily at him for scaring her, but stopped when she saw the look in his eye. "Go home, Tenten. Training is over for today." His voice was not that of Hatake Kakashi, the lazy, perverted Jounin – this was the voice of Sharingan no Kakashi – Captain-Commander of the ANBU Corps._

_Nodding hastily, the kunoichi gulped, before retreating from his presence. Kakashi turned his piercing gaze to Hinata, who couldn't help but shudder – Killer Intent leaked from the man unconsciously, more than enough to unsteady an Academy Student._

"_Hinata – you saw." Not a question, from him. Hinata nodded meekly._

"_I saw."_

"_Then you should understand – that shinobi was formerly from Kumogakure no Sato. There was a recent civil war there, between the Yondaime Raikage and his protégée – the new Godaime Raikage. The war was over _you_, or more importantly, your Doujutsu."_

"_They want the Byakugan?"_

"_Yes. The man I just killed was called Gashira, and he was one of the closest followers of the Yondaime Raikage. The fact that they are infiltrating _Konoha _now, with their strongest shinobi, no less, means that they're getting desperate – which means that _you, _and the rest of the Hyuuga clan, are in danger." A brief pause, to let that sink in._

"_So, what is going to happen?" _Nothing good, Hinata knew. Nothing that she would want – even though Neji would counsel her to accept this with good grace.

"_You are going to have to remain in the Academy – Hokage-Sama has directed a squad of ANBU to watch over the Academy, so you will be safe there…"_

_  
"Tch." Hinata turned her head away from Kakashi, and made certain to crush a flower with her next step – the _Academy…_ That would mean she'd be with the idiots of her class again – the loud, crass boys, the simpering, untalented girls…_

"_The same applies to both Neji and Hanabi – there'll be at least four ANBU following you guys around at all times, to keep you safe…" A pregnant pause, as he waited for an answer, and then Kakashi sighed. "You could at least say 'thank you'. It's not exactly an interesting job, to have to watch over you guys all the time."_

_  
"These Kumo-nin… why doesn't the Hokage simply have them killed? They're getting in the way of training."_

"_Once you are strong enough, Hinata, you can go finish them off yourself." Kakashi didn't shout, _never _shouted, but the displeasure in his voice was clear all the same. "Goodbye, Hinata," he said, then used Shunshin to leave. Hinata clenched her fists, and glared at the spot he had previously been in._

"_Tch. It will be good practice, at least," she decided, making a mental note to hunt down these weakling Kumo-nin before she fought Hizashi – after all, if their strongest shinobi were so much weaker than Kakashi, then they were nothing compared to Hizashi; if she couldn't beat _them_, then she'd know she needed to train more – a _lot_ more._

"You said they were all dead," she said once Kakashi had finished speaking. "You told me that they'd been defeated at Kamisenshi, and that there was no chance of fighting them." Kakashi scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously, before he continued.

"Well… yeah… we'd thought they were… But then, one of Hokage-Sama's spies in Kumo… he sort-of found out that the Raikage had a bounty out, on her predecessor, and any that still followed him… So it seems that they _are_ still around, those guys… and that Kumo _really_ wants them dead…"

"How much?" Naruto spoke up, and could not keep his interest concealed under his amateurish veil of annoyance. Kakashi considered a moment, then sighed.

"They say… that in Kumo, there's a secret weapon, a ninja that rivals their Raikage in power… We haven't been able to find out anything more than that, about it, but our spy said that this secret weapon… he, or she, has been _personally_ assigned to hunt down the rebels. Either Kumo's being far, far too arrogant, or they expect this weapon of theirs to take down a former Raikage and all those still linked to him… I don't know the specifics, but a mission like that is, most likely, SS-Ranked. That would, in Konoha, be expected of, at the very _least_, an eight-man team of Jounin."

_As strong as eight Jounin…_ That was… not impressive – that word didn't give it justice. If it were as strong as eight Jounin it _must_ be someone capable of defeating Hizashi, and someone that powerful… she made a mental note to visit Kumo at some point, and discover the secrets to this "weapon's" strength.

"So… this one ninja is being sent after a former Kage?" Naruto's eyes boggled. "I'd want to see that fight, Kakashi-sensei, definitely!"

"Hold on, Naruto… I wouldn't be so eager, if I were you… We're not exactly at war with Kumo right now, and they aren't as bad as, say, Iwa is with us, but this is _still_ something to be wary of. I mean… a ninja that powerful? What do you think we'll do if we run into it?"

Hinata could have sworn she saw a flicker in Kakashi's visible eye as he said that, and watched her sensei suspiciously with narrowed eyes. _He's hiding something from us…_

"Hn. It's just a fairy tale," Sasuke snorted, his first comment since opening the subject, and increased his pace.

--

"_You're playing with them again."_ The whisper of a flute, blowing reedy, high-pitched notes into the silence. The first voice was just as harsh as the wind, it decided. Tuneless and discordant, a harsh critic, but necessary.

"**Be silent. I'm having **_**fun**_**."** The second, its _own_ voice, was a purring, hissing melody, incomparable to any human instrument. As was natural – its very _nature_ was incomparable to mere humans, and it danced to the tune of a _different_ song – that of the passions, one which mortals could not hear.

"_Raikage-sama wanted this to be _quick_._ _Efficient. In and out and _done_, not delaying because you find this thing _beautiful_."_

"**Your 'Raikage-sama' does not control me, **_**whelp**_**. I will **_**enjoy**_** this freedom."** Because for every hour of freedom, there was a week of captivity, a week of silence, where it could no longer sing, and leave its mark on this dull world.

"_Insolent beast."_

"**Pathetic **_**mortal**_**."** With that last thought, it leapt from its treetop perch, hit the ground running on all four limbs – drumbeats as padded paws hit soft earth.

"_You will be punished for this."_ Lilac eyes, slitted in shape, darted around, taking in all aspects of the forest – the prey was here, _somewhere,_ vermin hidden in the dappled sunlight, keeping their breathing down to a minimum to try and futilely escape its intentions. It switched its vision from the monochrome it usually favoured to the coloured vision of a _human_, and snarled as the world became brighter, _fuller_. It could better appreciate the destruction it would cause when everything had its own vibrant colour, rather than being merely shades of grey.

"**Not before I've had my fill."**

A flat nose twitched, and two ears, each the size of a human child, swivelled around, seeking out the sounds of breathing, or hearts beating. Abruptly, it paused, crouched low to the ground, very still. A pair of tails, trailing in the breeze and squeezing out small embers of black-and-white fire, kinked suddenly.

"_Found…"_ **"You."** It said, and pounced – a hissing, mewling shape, of swirling monochromatic chakra. The shinobi it attacked had time to scream, _just_, and then he was borne to the ground by the force of the blow.

"Puh-puh…" he sputtered, eyes wide and terrified, shaking frantically.

"**Please? **_**Thank you,"**_ it leered, and swatted it out of existence with a flaming paw the size of a man's body. As it savoured the kill, it sat on its haunches, licked fragments of human life from its claws, and giggled. **"Where is the next one, my dear?"** Its other half remained in sullen silence, and it cackled. **"Don't be so disgusted, mortal-chan. You knew what would happen the moment you let me take control."** Knew it, and secretly revelled in it – what ninja did _not_ covet the power to crush their enemies so easily?

"_To the south… thirty-five metres…"_ it spat, not attempting to disguise its sheer contempt.

"**Why, thank you, my dear. Would you like a taste?" **It sneered at its captor-made-captive, and received a resigned reply – the only reply possible, given its pride and its shame.

"_Just get this over with, so we can go home."_

It leapt up and backwards, marvelling at the clear blue sky and the flash of white-yellow sun, somersaulting and grinning as it cast a shadow over its next prey. She didn't say a word, just looked at the oncoming monster, doe-eyed, until one paw sent her flying like a broken doll, skittering thirty metres away. She struggled to rise on a broken leg, her right arm a jagged mass of pulp and bone, and had her head removed from her body by a single talon.

"**Next one?"** it said, not bothering to hide its amusement – the fragile nature of humans was _exquisite_ to every sense.

"_Across the river, preparing a Jutsu. He actually means to fight you."_

"**Hmm… Who does he think he is?" **Another bounding leap brought it to the very bank, and the black clad shinobi on the other side leapt back, slamming seals together with quick, deliberate movements.

"Die, you monster!" Lightning crackled from fingertips, and he threw a sphere of it towards his predator, who yawned lazily and belched a monochrome fireball, which collided with, and absorbed the other shinobi's attack. He barely had time to register his fate before the attack cleaved him in two uneven pieces.

Like an ink-black mirror, the flaming, sparking sphere hovered in midair, and the Nibi no Nekomata gazed at its reflection before licking its lips.

"How exquisite…" How definite it had become… Written in blood and bones and broken bodies, the existence of the Nibi had been made apparent to all.

"_Disgusting."_ Typical response from a creature as fickle as this – a _human_, that did not appreciate existence until it was far, far too late. It ignored it, instead sniffing out another man, easily identifiable by the scent of his sweat. He was trying to hide inside a bush, but mere physical objects could not stop the Nibi from catching its prey. He gave out a strangled scream as the Nibi pinned him to the ground, and leered over his cowering form.

"**Why, I **_**thought **_**I smelled a rat, hiding in its little hole…" **It bent, sniffed the man's face and ignored his little whimpers of pain as white-hot sparks burned small scars into it. **"Now… now… should I tear out your throat, little rat?"** The man whimpered, and the smell of released bowels reached the sensitive nose of the Jinchuuriki, who hissed with displeasure, before a razor-sharp talon extended from a paw, and neatly severed the arm of its prey.

"F-Fucking… Fucking _monster!_" he screamed, before trailing off into a pain-filled howl, and his tormentor cooed, bringing a fanged mouth into an inhumanly wide smile.

"_You are sick."_

"**A rose by any other name, dear host."**

"_You are no rose – you are a _weed_."_

"**Sticks and stones, **_**mortal**_**. Now, be silent, or I will eat him."** Eyes turned back to the captive shinobi, and then the creature reared off him, and padded away.

"_Kill him! Raikage-Sama-"_

"**I am having **_**fun**_**. Now… I **_**will**_** eat him, mortal."** She would enjoy the taste of his flesh, flavoured by _fear_… emotions were far greater flavourings than any _human_ spice.

Sharp eyes fixed onto the whimpering man, who tried in vain to re-attach his severed arm, but the wound had seared shut. **"Run."** He froze, turned shakily to the being that addressed him. **"Run, prey, or I will **_**kill**_** you."** A pair of tails kinked, waving in the breeze. The man took deep breaths, shuddering, and his hunter snarled. **"Five."** He realised in a moment, and was up and running.

"**Four."**

"_You are a monster."_

"**Three. I am **_**you**_**, dear host."** The shinobi stumbled, and then raced away again, leaving his arm far behind.

"_At least kill him quickly."_

"**Two. It makes no difference, dear. You will be tasting his flesh either way. I do hope you **_**enjoy**_** the taste of your own kind."** He leapt over a gnarled root, and cried out as he landed.

"Please! Come back! Don't leave me here! Please, it'll _eat_ me!" Desperate cries, lost on the wind. If his fellows were still here, they were hiding – smart little pieces of prey. Yet not smart enough – if they felt they could outplay a being as suited for the hunt as it was.

"_I hate you, demon."_

"**One. Try not to, darling – things will go much harder for us if you do."** The Nibi no Nekomata reared its behind in the air, pushed its paws effortlessly through the earth, kinked its tails again, and then pounced in a blur of monochromatic flames.

The shinobi heard, or more appropriately, _felt_ the demon coming after him, turned his eyes, wide with fear, as its maw closed on his head.

The Nibi sat on its haunches for a moment, chewing on the unfortunate shinobi, cracking bone, rupturing flesh, and evaporating blood. When it was done, it tossed the remains with a flick of its neck, and watched them fade into the distance. Tails kinked again – what to do now?

"_Why don't you fulfil the mission, and kill the Yondaime?"_ Its whining, _boring_ host sounded sick – as only a _human_ could: No other animal could slaughter its own kind in such an _organised_ series of hunts, and yet shudder away from devouring its kill.

"**Hush, kitten, all in good time…"** Eyes darted again, ears pricked back, nose picked up scent. It turned to a tree, and crouched.

"**I…"**_"See you!" _This time, the prey ran, rather than try to hide. It would make no difference. The Nibi bounded after him, tearing through a signpost in the way.

It failed to notice the path it was taking led it south, into Hi no Kuni.

--

"What do you _mean_, 'it's just a fairy tale'!? Where's your proof!?" Naruto was yelling at Sasuke, who was doing a pretty good job of ignoring him. Hinata hung back with Kakashi, glancing about – as if expecting an attack.

"So… These missing-nin… they could be here? If they're strong enough that Kumo has dispatched such a strong shinobi after them, then why is a _Genin_ team being sent out here?"

"Because _I'm_ with you guys, and, if you didn't realise, I'm at the level of these guys. There's a _reason_ they fear me in Kumo, after all. Still… the chances of us getting attacked, _here_, in Hi no Kuni, are pretty slim – last we'd heard, the Yondaime was running for his life back up in Rai no Kuni. Like I said, I'll handle anything they throw at us."

"So, Kakashi-Sensei… What do we do, if we meet these guys? Are they too strong for us?" Kakashi sighed, then thought for a moment.

"Hinata… You really want to fight them, eh? Well… to tell you the truth, the Yondaime Raikage lost a lot of his strongest men to Kumo hunter-nin over the years. I wouldn't be surprised if the guys he's got now are mostly second-generation, so not that strong yet. If it comes to it… I'd rather you guys left it to me, but I wouldn't rule out there being some that you could take down, if you learn to work together."

"Work together…" She supposed she'd have to take Naruto aside some time, and actually teach him to correct his stances – he was, for all his enthusiasm and endurance, less of a ninja and more of a brawler, the blunt hammer to her scalpel.

"Yeah, work together… You, Naruto, _and_ Sasuke – since he's the strongest of you three, you never know, you might want to be able to rely on him some time… Y'know?"

"What do you mean?" She did not give voice to the thought racing inside her head – that Sasuke was no more a part of this team than he pretended to be, and that he was incapable of being trusted, selfish and egocentric as he was. "How do you suggest we 'work together' with Sasuke?" Kakashi's face lit up, as if he were smiling.

"Ah, that's simple! What you do, see, is you…" he trailed off and Hinata unconsciously leant closer to hear him… "Figure it out yourself!"

And that was that – Whilst she was still registering that Kakashi had, in typical fashion, evaded the question completely, the Jounin-sensei took his book out to read, and Hinata knew from experience that anything she said would be ignored, or given a neutral 'Hm?' In these circumstances, it was better to say nothing at all, infuriating as it may be.

Inevitably, the different paces set by the group – Naruto bouncing ahead like an overeager puppy, Kakashi strolling along leisurely, almost on autopilot, reading his book, and the two nobles somewhere in the middle, neither dragging their feet or racing ahead – led to Sasuke and Hinata walking almost next to each other.

The Hyuuga did everything in her power to ignore Sasuke's foreboding presence, watching instead the orange-coloured blur at the edge of her vision, as it alternated between rushing forward, and pausing to call back to them.

"Hoi! Come on, guys – we're running late! We need to move quickly!" Naruto jumped as he spoke, but was met with silence from the rest of his team.

Naruto… There was definitely something strange about him – something she couldn't quite place. He was not the first cheerful, excitable person she had ever met – Tenten matched him in that, but Naruto was… different. Perhaps it was the fact that he, too, was an orphan – someone she could relate to. Still… she was slightly disturbed by how he could make her feel.

She was not quite sure what had prompted her to confront his landlord this morning – it had been almost instinctual; seeing Naruto cowering dejectedly made the only plausible response be leaping to his defence, almost like a reflex that she had succumbed to, far too easily.

She had never acted like this around Tenten, or Hanabi, or Neji, when they had still been friends – and, to be honest, this scared her. Her… relationship with Naruto was treading into uncharted, dangerous waters.

She liked him, that was for certain. Compared to the others in her life, Naruto was like a breath of fresh air, loud and exuberant, but human, fragile. However, much as she enjoyed his company, she found herself… apprehensive. Before meeting Naruto, life had been a single path – beginning from the Hyuuga Massacre, and ending with Hizashi dead by her hand: simple, straightforward, and secure. Since meeting Naruto, she had strayed from the path several times – and that was unforgivable. She had a mission, decided from childhood, to avenge all that she had loved, and she could not stray from it – she had to kill Hizashi, no matter what.

She glanced at Sasuke, who had hands in pockets, and felt a curl of distaste, deep inside. Distaste that Sasuke was stronger than her, distaste about their mutual dislike of each other, and distaste that they would have to work together. She could no more exclude him from Team 7 than she could Naruto – in order for her to continue down her path, the team would have to work well together – be better than the sum of its parts, in that regard Kakashi was correct. So, stifling her dislike of the Uchiha, Hinata decided that she'd have to at least make an effort to be civil.

"Uchiha-san, what's on your mind?" Sasuke paused, glanced over his shoulder at her, his face expressionless.

"Same as usual – Dobe's being annoying, and you're still pretending you're a decent person. Everything's… _normal_, at least." Hinata ignored the slur there – she'd long ago decided that insults formed a key part of Sasuke's vocabulary.

"You didn't answer my question, Uchiha-san. How are you feeling?" This time he scowled, and then replied in a sickly-sweet manner, with a forced, far-too-wide false smile.

"Oh, _forgive_ me, Hinata – I'm feeling _fine_, _thank_ you for asking. Yeah – top of the world: I made your cousin, who manages to even top you with arrogance, look like an idiot; I'm starting my first C-Ranked mission, _years_ after my brother… oh, and it turns out that we're going to get _married_. Brilliant, eh, Hinata-_chan_?" He ended with a cross between a smile and a snarl, and Hinata forced down the rage inside her, threatening to spill from violent thoughts to violent acts.

"Excuse me, Sasuke?" Icily calm, frostily polite – that was the Hyuuga way.

"Yep. Fugaku changed the terms of the Betrothal – Itachi's not part of things, neither is your sister. Just us." _Just us_. Hinata felt a chill crawl up her spine, triggering memories of their discussion under a midnight sky, where Sasuke offered her a 'way out', if she were to marry him.

"You…" Eyes narrowed, and chakra coils bulged across her face. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, but made no other move. "You _changed_ things, didn't you?" It made sense now – the interest he'd shown in her before being put in Team 7… Was his apparent dislike merely a ruse, to lower her guard before this declaration? _He was an Uchiha, after all…_

"What? Don't be ridiculous… Why'd I want to marry someone like you?" His tone dripped with scorn, or was it bait? Bait to cloud her judgment? "You know…" he continued. "You should consider yourself lucky – If Itachi had been in my place, he'd have put you in _yours_ ages ago. Then again… I'd probably have done the same thing to Hanabi." Immediately, words alone, not directed at her, but at others, caused her to act. Sasuke didn't expect her attack, and had just activated his Sharingan when her strike was aimed for his… not a vital area, surely? She was unsure, and could not really care at this moment – an insult to her sister _demanded_ a violent response.

Sasuke barely managed to dodge back, and begin to deliver a kick, but for some strange, unknown reason, checked the blow before it even began. Hinata did not care – following up on his mistake with another strike, which he dodged, slightly easier this time – he was _just_ faster than her, and with the Sharingan, his predictive capabilities made his reaction time even greater.

She brought her right arm back, ready to strike once more, and then something grabbed her from behind, blocked her strike, wrapped around both her arms. She snapped her head around, and glared directly into the concerned blue eyes of Uzumaki Naruto.

"Snap out of it, Hinata! He's… not worth it," the blonde Genin said, almost bitterly, though he recoiled from the hatred in her gaze, and a moment later, Kakashi sighed and put his book away.

"Do you children _never_ learn? Eh?" He walked up to the space between them, his uncovered eye flitting between them slowly. "Right… _you two_ are going to have your own private make-up session; I don't _care_ who's right and who's wrong – this team won't tolerate dissension, understood?" Neither of the Genin at fault could meet the disappointed, disapproving look in their Sensei's eye.

"Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto began, but Kakashi just shook his head, and Naruto fell silent.

"Now, Sasuke, Hinata, do you have anything you want to say to each other?" Both Genin kept mouths firmly shut, and Kakashi sighed again. "Right then. Naruto, stick with me – you two go on ahead, turn right at the next fork. Oh, and _work this out._"

--

_Well… what did you fucking expect? Smiles and hugs? Life doesn't work like that, _Hyuuga_._ Sasuke glared at Hinata, who ignored him. They had not said a word since Kakashi sent them on ahead – there was nothing _to _be said. She'd deluded herself, pretty thoroughly, into believing that he, for some reason, was _interested_ in her – and he didn't see any point in trying to argue otherwise – would she _really_ believe that it was _Itachi_ that had the "interest" in her? Every sceptical fibre of his being screamed a resounding 'No!'.

After all, _he_ could barely believe it, and he'd been told to his face. _'Hurt her, and I will hurt you.'_ Somehow, he knew, Itachi would know – just like he _always_ knew, if he didn't do as he commanded. And he still didn't know _why_ he'd been given this command – what possible interest Itachi could have in Hinata. So, she was a Hyuuga. What did it matter? The Hyuuga were old and done and _gone_, worthless, outdated pieces of trash. They belonged in the past, and should neither be dwelt on or expected to change.

So what was it that drew Itachi to the Hyuuga clan? Why was it that he had, twice now, talked to him _specifically_ about Hinata?

_If you are so interested in her, then _you_ marry her, Aniki._ But no, he was, as always, his brother's tool in this endeavour – he did what his brother didn't care for, so that Itachi could reap the rewards… whatever they may be.

Truth be told, it made him sick, but that's what life was – the strong did as they pleased, and those not strong enough had to follow – crying about things didn't make life any better, only by becoming stronger could he escape – that was the Uchiha way, after all, refined through generations of brutality, and one that he was determined to master… before he put an end to it for good.

"Oi! _Talk_ to each other!" Kakashi's distinctly bored voice called from behind them, and Sasuke glared back at the man, who still seemed to have eyes only for his Icha Icha book, but ears that heard everything, or rather, the _lack_ of everything. Naruto, padding by Kakashi's side, only had eyes for one person, and Sasuke was glad to say that it wasn't him.

_Popular, aren't we, Hinata?_ Not only did Itachi have some sick interest in her well-being, but she had the Dobe following her like a lovestruck puppy. He supposed that he should feel _jealous_ at receiving such attention, but then again… a slobbering imbecile and Uchiha Itachi were not the best of company. He smirked, and felt her irritated glare settle on him again, daring him to give voice to what he found so funny. She wouldn't actually _say_ anything, though, she was far too proud for that – she'd pretty much sworn that she wouldn't talk to him for a _long_ time, after that little hissy-fit she threw before.

They were drawing closer to the Matsu Estates now – he could see a plume of smoke in the not-too-far distance, and hear the singing of those working the fields. If he strained his hearing, he could make out snatches of their song, eerily familiar.

With a start, he realised that it was a lullaby, about the sunrise, and a child who was lost finding his family. He realised that he _remembered_ it from somewhere.

As he tried to recall _where_ he had heard it before, the rough, harmonised chorus of their voices changed, became the soft, lilting sound of a far more familiar person, from a far more pleasant time. Looking at a hanging bench somebody had installed under the branches of a particularly sturdy tree, Sasuke saw for a moment Ka-san, with a small child sitting in her lap, as she sang quietly. Her child had a content look on his face, eyes closed and humming along as her hands rested on his, and Mikoto watched her husband and elder son spar, though she smiled only when she looked back down at a young Sasuke.

Then, as his Ka-san turned her velvet-smooth gaze to him, Sasuke's memory shattered, and the swinging bench became empty once more.

"Well… we're here," said Kakashi, as he appeared at Sasuke's side, and the Uchiha stiffened – how had he moved so quickly? The Jounin had stowed his book, and gave him and Hinata a sidelong glance, but said nothing to them. He almost felt insulted, but if Kakashi thought that slights such as this would shame him into accepting any sort of compromise with Hinata, he was wrong.

"Naruto, we'll be in the presence of one of Daimyo-sama's good friends – he may not be a ninja, but he deserves our respect, 'kay?" Naruto nodded, and the four of them moved on, Sasuke noting from the position of the sun that they were almost two hours late.

The Matsu's main Estate was lavishly decorated, its outer walls carved with oak leaves and acorns. An orchard of apple trees was contained within, and Sasuke guessed that there were similar orchards for other fruits elsewhere. There was a moat around the actual mansion, with a red cedar wood bridge. Two Ashigaru stood at guard, pikes held high, and saluted as Team 7 approached.

"Sharingan no Kakashi! Matsu-sama is expecting you! Please, hurry on!" the one on the left said, a smooth-skinned man, barely out of adolescence. Sasuke doubted he'd even seen combat before. The one on the right was a more grizzled warrior, sporting a large scar across his cheek.

Kakashi paused, then ignored the younger soldier, waving at the older man.

"Hey, Haruko-san. How's things?" Haruko smiled, and lifted his hat.

"They've been better, Kakashi-san," he growled. "Matsu-sama will tell you of our problems."

"Maa, it can't possibly be worse than last time, eh?" Kakashi scratched the back of his head, and pointedly ignored the growing frustration of the younger soldier.

"Well… at the very least, I don't have a scar yet," Haruko said, closing his eyes.

"There is that… Well! Better go see Kurimiki – he'll probably want to catch up." He stepped past the guards, and Sasuke paused and smirked at the seething younger soldier.

"Don't worry – he does that to everyone. You're not special enough to get any attention from Kakashi-sensei." Then he carried on after his team, leaving one shocked Ashigaru with a twitch in his right eye.

--

Matsu Kurimiki was an aging man, who, upon seeing Kakashi, rose stiffly from his seat and had to be supported by his courtiers.

"Ah! Kakashi-san! It has been… too long… You are early! Sarutobi-san told us… you would not arrive for at least another half-hour!"

"Ah, well, you know me, Kurimiki-san… always early!" Kakashi said whilst scratching the back of his head and smiling. Naruto whirled on him immediately.

"Oi! Kakashi-sensei, what's this all about! You're _late_ all the time, not ear-" He stopped as Kakashi, ever so lightly, pushed his head into the floor with his foot.

_Man…_ Naruto rubbed his head after Kakashi had taken his foot off of it. _So we left _early_, just so Kakashi could get here on time? _It wasn't very reassuring that their sensei was so expected to be tardy that even the _Hokage_ had given in and let him have his way…

"So… I hear there's problems with bandits, eh, Kurimiki-san?" The aged man nodded sadly, and slumped back into his seat.

Naruto could tell straight away that he was going to be boring, and wished that there was a chair somewhere he could sit on… or that he could at least _slouch_, but both Hinata and Sasuke-teme were standing ramrod straight, though very deliberately looking _away_ from one another.

_Damned teme… _What business did Sasuke have in the first place, starting trouble? Everyone had been happy, and then _he'd_ appeared, and turned happiness into anger. What kind of grudge did he have against Hinata, anyway?

Yeah, they were from different clans – so what? He wasn't an Inuzuka or a Nara, and he got on just fine with Kiba and Shikamaru, and he wasn't a Hyuuga either, but he still counted himself a friend of Hinata. Kakashi-sensei had said the Uchiha and Hyuuga clans had some sort of "special" rivalry, but even _he_ didn't know why that meant Sasuke and Hinata hated each other… Kakashi tapped him on the head, and Naruto looked up at the old geezer they had to protect, who was finishing off the conversation he'd been having with Kakashi.

"So, I fear, I must ask for your help once more, Sharingan no Kakashi, to prevent these… mercenaries from preying upon my lands!" He gestured fiercely with a gnarled hand to emphasise his point, but the Hatake still wore his almost condescending smiley face.

"Hey… It's no problem, Kurimiki-san, but we've just come all the way from Konoha… My Genin are pretty tired, you see… Mind if we start our little… task tomorrow?"

_He just wants to finish reading his stupid porn_, all three Genin thought simultaneously.

"Ah! Ah, yes, of course! Minako! Kita! Show our guests to their lodging!" he clapped once, and two serving girls bowed.

"Hai, Matsu-sama!" they cried, and then led Team 7 down a corridor to the right, with a large Ash tree emblazoned on each of its walls.

"How many rooms are there?" Kakashi asked, and one of the girls, a blonde, turned and bowed.

"There are two only, Hatake-sama. Unfortunately, we are housing a delegation of shinobi from Takigakure, and they arrived first."

"Ah, no problem… In fact, two rooms works out just _fine_ for my team." Hinata knew what he was going to say next, and coughed loudly to draw his attention, though she felt slightly hesitant when his single eye focused on her, silently warning her to choose her words carefully. Hinata had, of course, prepared for this scenario in advance, and knew what to say that would not seem to be too against Kakashi's will, but still lead to her _not_ having to share a room with the Uchiha.

"Naruto should choose the rooms – he's the only one here who _doesn't_ have a grudge against his team," she said, and Kakashi placed finger and thumb on his chin, eye wandering across the ceiling.

"Nope," he decided with a smile. "I can't have Naruto share a room with Sasuke, they'll end up killing each other, and I can't have him sleep in the same room as you, since you have that thing… So! You're sleeping in the same room as Sasuke, and Naruto's sharing with me." His tone dropped as he continued, deadly serious. "And I _don't_ have to remind you two that it's in your best interests to solve whatever problem you have with each other, _do_ I?" Neither of the two nobles spoke, and Naruto just watched the whole thing uneasily.

"Here are your rooms," said the brown-haired girl, laughing nervously whilst her blonde counterpart simply watched, a little _too_ observantly, in Hinata's mind. Then she saw her looking and averted her gaze, studying a crack in the ceiling instead.

Sasuke marched in immediately with a neutral 'Hn', and chose his futon immediately. Hinata followed more tentatively, keeping half an eye on the blonde servant.

"Kita, we should be going," said her brunette companion, and Kita turned to leave soundlessly.

"Hey, Hinata…" She glanced back at Kakashi, who was leaning _just_ outside of his doorframe. "Pleasant dreams!" Then he closed the door behind him, and Hinata did the same for her room, silently cursing her sensei's name, and the fact that there was no bathroom for her to change in – or even a screen to block her from Sasuke's view. _How humiliating, to be leered at by _him, she silently fumed.

"Don't look – I'm going to change," she said, shooting Sasuke a murderous glare and the Uchiha snorted, before with exaggerated movements placed his Hitai-ate over his eyes.

"Whatever… It's not like I actually _care_ what you look like." She grit her teeth, and ignored him as she changed into the sole pair of pyjamas she had brought with her, and slipped into her futon, though she was unable to go to sleep due to one very annoying factor.

"Switch the light off, Sasuke," she growled at the Uchiha, who snorted.

"No thank you, _hime_ – I'm reading." _Of all things…_ A ninja was supposed to be able to relax in _any_ circumstances: sleep on a tree branch if need be, but Hinata had always had, much to her annoyance, an inability to sleep if there was too much light – most likely due to the nature of the Byakugan, unprofessional though it was… She glanced over at Sasuke, who was poring over a scroll illuminated by the irritating constant glare of his lamp.

"What are you reading?" If she could not sleep, she could at least _attempt_ to converse with her irritatingly intransigent team-mate. Sasuke grunted, and the sole onyx eye she could see glared over the top of the scroll at her.

"None of your business, Hyuuga," he sneered with his all-too-characteristic smirk, before going back to reading. _Intolerable…_ She wasn't quite sure what told her it was a good idea to slide out of bed, and change back into clothes more suitable for the outdoors. Sasuke ignored her up until she put a hand on their screen door.

"What are you doing now, Hyuuga?" he said, without taking his eyes off his precious scroll. Hinata turned, and gave him a sneering smile, facial muscles arranged in the same way she had seen oh-so-many times from _him_.

"Why, Sasuke-kun, I've had enough of listening to you, so I'm going to go out and do something _useful_, like _train_." Then she stepped outside, and Sasuke, after a quick glance in her direction to check that she was actually following through with her declaration, went back to his studying of advanced Katon Ninjutsu.

--

"_We must turn back!"_ How annoying… The Nibi shook the irritating echo from its ears, and focused on following the scent trail. Its container's voice had simply become annoying now, with its endless whining and criticism. For one so loyal to orders, it seemed _very_ determined to abandon their mission. How very _mortal_.

"**We are killing your former Yondaime's men, are we not? Be silent, whelp."** It was mildly interesting to note how they followed her so, like carrion birds following a voracious predator. Foolish, foolish prey… It had caught and killed twelve of them since crossing the border into Hi no Kuni – the latest ones it had made _sing_ before it ended their pathetic existences – and to its ears, their howling screams as limb after limb was delicately torn away was sweeter than any _human_ melody. This was music, laced with _raw_, _passionate_ emotion.

Its current prey was a particularly stealthy individual – it had backtracked, crossed multiple rivers, and used Bunshins in a rather inventive manner, but it would not escape it – not the Nibi; it hunted men's _souls_. However, its senses were being clouded by the insistent, whining noise of its most harsh critic.

"_This… if we are found, Konoha will declare war! I will not allow you to do this, _monster_! Turn back, now!"_ The Nibi knew it had mere hours left to control this body, before it would be forced back into captivity, but it would be damned if it gave up _this_ hunt. It was a matter of pride more than anything – this would be the highlight of its freedom, the trophy soul to take back to its cage.

"**There… It turned west here… What a delightfully **_**inventive**_** prey this one is…"**

A leaping bound, and it covered metres in seconds, before pausing, attuning its senses once more. The scent was strong here, but its ears buzzed with the sounds of the night – hooting owls, chirping beds, rustling grass, the sound of a human household going to sleep…

"_Che! We are too close to habitation! If they see us…"_

"**Be silent, kitten," **it purred. **"They know not that we are from Kumo. You are safe so long as I am in control."** It flattened against the ground, and heard the shifting of a foot against the damp earth. Simultaneously, it smelt two new presences… How _insulting_. The prey shadowed it, keeping just out of immediate reach, and watched it. The Nibi had decided to ignore most of these annoying insects, and focus on one at a time. They were not innumerable, after all – there were at most six left of the forty it had originally begun to hunt.

It edged towards the direction the sound had come from… Yes, it could see the prey now, half-hidden in the undergrowth, loading a dart into a blowpipe. How futile…

It pounced, and tore the surrounding area to shreds, delivering its fury onto the target. Absently, it heard its host hiss at the unnecessary noise, and then it realised that it had destroyed a Bunshin. Raising its head to the night sky, the Nibi yowled its frustrations, and focused on the twin presences that were circling around it, towards the distant human buildings – it would slay _them_ at least, in the time it had remaining to it. Ignoring the angry protests of Nii Yugito, the Nibi charged towards the Matsu Estates, and the prey that dared to bait it.

--

Sasuke tsked as somebody knocked on the door. Was it Hinata, coming back to swallow her pride and go to bed? Doubtful – the Hyuuga was as proud as Naruto was stupid, or Kakashi was lazy. Was it Kakashi then, coming in to check on them? No, that wasn't his 'style' – he'd leave them to work things out themselves. Well then… it must be a serving girl, coming to check on their needs. He crossed the floor to the screen door slowly, just to keep them waiting, and then slid the screen door open, his face an icy mask.

"What is it?" he said, and Naruto looked up, surprised, before staring back defiantly.

"Where's Hinata, _teme_?" What a shame – had he put less of a pause between those two words, Sasuke may even have _agreed_ with the Dobe. He just shrugged instead, and smiled at Naruto's annoyance.

"Don't really know – she said something about going to train. I don't really care…" Naruto grabbed him by the collar, and Sasuke's smile turned to a frown.

"Damnit! What'd Kakashi-sensei say? Work it out! Why'd you let Hinata go off on her own?" Sasuke broke his hold with a quick chop downwards, and spat at Naruto's feet.

"Why do you care so much about the Hyuuga, eh? What's so special about her – what makes her different from me?" Naruto's eyes widened, then he clenched his fists.

"You don't know, teme?" he said quietly.

"No, Naruto, I really _don't_. _Please_, _enlighten _me," Sasuke sneered, and Naruto glared at him, not that it bothered the Uchiha much – he'd had to deal with the anger of Itachi before; Naruto's paled in comparism.

"_Teme…_ Hinata's a nice person, when people like you aren't around to piss her off! She… she looks out for her friends – she actually wants this team to _work!_ But you… you just piss _everybody_ off, every chance you get! Hinata's _nothing_ like you, jack-ass!"

Sasuke wouldn't admit it, but he could have actually _thanked_ Naruto for that – he had the sense to see it, the _Dobe_ had the sense to see it, that Itachi was wrong about this, that he and Hinata _weren't_ like each other; _weren't_ like him. And yet…

"Hmph. Hinata a nice person? You must need glasses, Dobe. You think she's working for the _team?_ You obviously don't know anything near as much as you think you do – Hinata only cares about one thing, and she's willing to use and sacrifice _anything_ to get to it." He grinned and leant in close, to the snarling face of the Uzumaki. "She told me herself, Dobe, there's one person, just _one_ person in the world she cares about, and surprise, surprise, it's not you." He sneered at the blonde Genin's barely-suppressed anger. "Listen carefully, idiot. The only person Hinata gives a damn about isn't you, and isn't me. His name is _Hyuuga Hizashi_, and she's willing to do _anything_ to kill him, even pretend to be _your_ friend, even pretend to care about this team. The sooner you learn, Dobe, the better – Hinata _doesn't care about you._"

"Bullshit!" Naruto almost yelled, regardless of the time. "You shut up, _teme_! Don't say things like that about Hinata, because you don't know the first thing about her! You keep talking about her like she's _your_ best friend, like she's _your_ sister, but you don't know anything about her! You're not like her, you're not an orphan, you haven't had to go through what she has, and you're _still_ an arsehole, when Hinata's a good person! What the _hell_ makes you think that she's as bad as you say, huh? What makes you think she does things like _you_ say? What makes you think you're so goddamn _right_ all the time, when you're making stuff up about other people!? What makes you-mmmff…" The blonde was cut off as a gloved hand clamped itself firmly over his mouth.

"It's night-time, Naruto…" said a sleepy voice, before yawning, and Kakashi loomed over the both of them, sleepy-eyed but still oh-so clearly alert. "You guys woke me up… Hm? Where's Hinata? I thought it was her turn to get into an argument with Sasuke…" He released Naruto, who crossed his arms and glared sullenly at Sasuke.

"Sasuke-teme says she went training," Naruto grumbled, and Kakashi's eyes lit up immediately.

"Sasuke, is this true?" His voice changed, sharper than before, and Sasuke just nodded. What was it about _this_ that brought out the _serious_ Kakashi? Kakashi sighed.

"Well then… you're going out to look for her." Sasuke just glared at him, meeting his single three-tomoe Sharingan with two one-tomoe ones.

"Hell no – I want to sleep, and I couldn't care less about that Hyuuga bi-" He was cut off mid-sentence as Kakashi moved, quicker than he could see even with Sharingan activated, and unloaded a punch into his stomach that drove the air from his body. He collapsed on the ground and wheezed, as Kakashi lifted him up, and glared directly at him, releasing a wave of Killer Intent.

"Sasuke, _never_ take your team-mates lightly. You have two choices: go out and bring Hinata back, or I swear to Kami, I'll beat the ever-living shit out of you for the rest of the night. That punch? I can hit, oh… ten, twenty times harder than that?"

Sasuke didn't answer for a moment, dizzy on top of trying to desperately inhale oxygen, but eventually nodded, and Kakashi sent him on his way with a not-so-gentle smack on the back.

Sasuke staggered a little of the way to the nearest exit, then slumped against a wall. _Fucking Kakashi… What the hell did _he_ know about team-mates?_ Then, gathering control of himself, he took his first steps outside, kicking on a pair of sandals, to go search for his oh-so-precious team-mate.

And of course, Naruto's bloody rant was lodged inside his mind as he closed the screen door behind him.

"_What makes you think she does things like you say, eh?"_ It was a relatively rare occurrence for Uchiha Sasuke to be lost for words – being an Uchiha _demanded_ that you be quick and sharp, in speech as well as everything else. And yet… only a single answer presented itself in his mind to Naruto's furious question, an answer he hated, didn't want to… _couldn't_ accept, but remained lodged there indefinitely, and threatened to change _everything_.

_Because it's exactly what I'd do._

--

"Ne, Kakashi-sensei?" Kakashi glanced down at Naruto, who immediately averted his eyes, slightly stunned by the focus of Kakashi's killing intent. He switched it off, hoping it hadn't accidentally caught any civilians… that would be a mess.

"Yes, Naruto?" he said once he was done.

"Why've we got to have someone like Sasuke-teme on our team? Why can't it just be us three, huh?" Kakashi paused for a moment, not because he had trouble answering Naruto's question, but because, not for the first time, he was comparing _his_ team to this one.

It was simple enough to place a young him in Sasuke's place – arrogant, heir to a prestigious legacy, undeniably powerful but by Kami… so unbelievably full of himself. Naruto, likewise, was easy to place as Obito – with a power he neither wanted nor was able to control, loud and energetic and devoted to his friends… They even had the same love of orange. Then there was Hinata… She was the only one that didn't fit in the puzzle – she wasn't much like Rin had been at all, from what he'd seen. No, she vied with Sasuke for the "stuck-up noble genius of the group", instead of taking the "calm, gentle kunoichi" position. Yet, the way Naruto talked about her, it seemed that there was something different there, something he had yet to see, a different side to the Hyuuga.

Besides which, after that… incident, Rin had changed. With a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach, Kakashi mentally re-lived seeing the girl he had never appreciated become cold and distant, haunted by the ghosts of the past. In a way, the Rin _after_ the death of Obito was similar to Hinata now…

"Sasuke's a key member of this team, Naruto," he said on autopilot, and wondered if Minato-sensei had ever considered beating the tar out of the arrogant boy named Kakashi. "He just doesn't realise it yet."

They'd all changed each other, his old team – Obito had become stronger, he had become human, but Rin… Rin had been the only one of them not to _gain_ anything, but simply to _lose_ something.

"Yeah, but Kakashi-sensei… How do we get him to realise it?"

When had he realised it, that the team made the individual, instead of the other way around? It had taken a catalyst, he remembered, a sudden, life-changing event. And it had taken the death of a friend. If this team was to be anything like the _old_ team Seven… Kakashi would make sure that it did _not_ go through the same process. He wouldn't stand by and let it happen again – he wouldn't watch two of his students die, one physically and one mentally, simply to show the third he was human.

He wouldn't let Naruto die, to show Sasuke what it meant to have friends, and he wouldn't let Hinata die, to show Sasuke what it meant to ignore those closest to you.

"Obito… We just have to wait and see," he said, echoing the words of his sensei – as he'd overheard Minato-sensei say to Obito one night around their campfire.

"Ne, Kakashi-sensei? Who's Obito?" Naruto cocked his head to the side, and Kakashi started.

"He's not you," was the only answer that came to mind, and it sounded so _unsatisfactory_.

A/N: Sorry for the long delay in this chapter being produced – I had a ridiculous amount of trouble applying the advice of my Beta Reader for the first scene (it's silly, but I just couldn't put fingers to keyboard for it…) So! I don't have a particular Review Focus for this scene, but I suppose I'd like to know how the Nibi came out, simply because I had a lot of fun writing in its POV (I should probably mention now that in this story, all the Bijuu are genderless).

Some specific pre-emptive answers:

"Wait, Hinata's on a "path?" it's "unacceptable" to stray from it? That sounds dangerously close to Canon Sasuke…"

**Firstly, to allay your fears, I have no intention of making Hinata a female version of Canon Sasuke, but I'd rather not drop that part for two reasons. One, it is to show a contrast between her and Neji (He sees multiple possible futures, and picks-and-chooses with the present dictating the future, whilst she sees one path that dictates her present, if you see what I mean...) Secondly, whilst I do not want Hinata to be Fem!Sasuke, I also do not want her to hop immediately onto the Naruto bandwagon. It seemed to me like a direct contradiction of her rather wary character to place That much trust in someone right away - I saw her as wavering a bit, and tried to show that whilst she doesn't **_**dislike**_** Naruto, she's a bit cautious of how he makes her act, and doesn't want to get **_**too**_** close to him yet.** (Did I succeed in that, btw?)

"Kakashi's being a bit of a jerk, isn't he?"

**He is rather obsessed about the past – think of Kakashi like the stereotypical Vietnam War veteran, who wakes up in the night dreaming about past battles. He is also rather uninformed – he does not know that Hinata and Sasuke are in a forced engagement, and is too focused on seeing Team 7 as a reflection of **_**his**_** team to actually look "underneath the underneath".**

Until next time!


	10. AN: Revival

Revival:

Hi guys, I know this has been a pretty long hiatus on my end (and certainly far, far longer than I'd intended), but I am finally back and ready to start writing again. However, over the past couple of years, and especially with re-reading and experimenting with the comments of my beta (White Heron) I've found my style of writing change quite a bit, to the point where there are parts in Fallen Heights that I now cringe at when I read.

So I'm going to reboot the series - tidy up the prose, purge the ridiculously and randomly shoehorned-in Japanese, etc. This shouldn't take too long for the first few chapters, since I think the bulk of what I wrote is still good enough to stand with only a bit of tinkering around the edges. I've decided to stick with my original plot instead of conforming to Kishi's, so everything that's happened in Part 2/Shippuden, and especially from the revelation about the Akatsuki Leader onwards, might very well not happen or be referenced here. As an example, I'm using the (Acknowledged as fanfiction) "Legend of the Tailed Beasts" by Dyroness for my Bijuu, rather than Kishimoto's (awesome as Killer B's Oxtopus is, most of his Bijuu have failed to impress me), since quite a few events in the future of the fic as I'd planned it used those instead of the Canon Bijuu.

I'm going to keep up the old Fanfic, if only because the reviews in it never fail to get me inspired to keep writing (I know it's pretty much a cliché, but we authors do really like waking up to see we've got a bunch of new reviews overnight : D), but the first chapter of the reboot should be up hopefully over the weekend.

Hope you're all as excited about it as I am - I promise to make the fic worth the wait.

He Who Writes Monsters


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